Flaxseed oil is rich in α-linolenic acid (ALA), which is the metabolic precursor of EPA and DHA. The present study investigated the effect of flaxseed oil supplementation on lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-induced muscle atrophy and carbohydrate oxidation impairment in a piglet model. Twenty-four weaned pigs were used in a 2 × 2 factorial experiment including dietary treatment (5 % maize oil v. 5 % flaxseed oil) and LPS challenge (saline v. LPS). On day 21 of treatment, the pigs were injected intraperitoneally with 100 μg/kg body weight LPS or sterile saline. At 4 h after injection, blood, gastrocnemius muscle and longissimus dorsi muscle were collected. Flaxseed oil supplementation increased ALA, EPA, total n-3 PUFA contents, protein:DNA ratio and pyruvate dehydrogenase complex quantity in muscles (P < 0·05). In addition, flaxseed oil reduced mRNA expression of toll-like receptor (TLR) 4 and nucleotide-binding oligomerisation domain protein (NOD) 2 and their downstream signalling molecules in muscles and decreased plasma concentrations of TNF-α, IL-6 and IL-8, and mRNA expression of TNF-α, IL-1β and IL-6 (P < 0·05). Moreover, flaxseed oil inclusion increased the ratios of phosphorylated protein kinase B (Akt) 1:total Akt1 and phosphorylated Forkhead box O (FOXO) 1:total FOXO1 and reduced mRNA expression of FOXO1, muscle RING finger (MuRF) 1 and pyruvate dehydrogenase kinase 4 in muscles (P < 0·05). These results suggest that flaxseed oil might have a positive effect on alleviating muscle protein loss and carbohydrates oxidation impairment induced by LPS challenge through regulation of the TLR4/NOD and Akt/FOXO signalling pathways.

Pro-inflammatory cytokines are critical in mechanisms of muscle atrophy. In addition, asparagine (Asn) is necessary for protein synthesis in mammalian cells. We hypothesised that Asn could attenuate lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-induced muscle atrophy in a piglet model. Piglets were allotted to four treatments (non-challenged control, LPS-challenged control, LPS+0·5 % Asn and LPS+1·0 % Asn). On day 21, the piglets were injected with LPS or saline. At 4 h post injection, piglet blood and muscle samples were collected. Asn increased protein and RNA content in muscles, and decreased mRNA expression of muscle atrophy F-box (MAFbx) and muscle RING finger 1 (MuRF1). However, Asn had no effect on the protein abundance of MAFbx and MuRF1. In addition, Asn decreased muscle AMP-activated protein kinase (AMPK) α phosphorylation, but increased muscle protein kinase B (Akt) and Forkhead Box O (FOXO) 1 phosphorylation. Moreover, Asn decreased the concentrations of TNF-α, cortisol and glucagon in plasma, and TNF-α mRNA expression in muscles. Finally, Asn decreased mRNA abundance of muscle toll-like receptor (TLR) 4 and nucleotide-binding oligomerisation domain protein (NOD) signalling-related genes, and regulated their negative regulators. The beneficial effects of Asn on muscle atrophy may be associated with the following: (1) inhibiting muscle protein degradation via activating Akt and inactivating AMPKα and FOXO1; and (2) decreasing the expression of muscle pro-inflammatory cytokines via inhibiting TLR4 and NOD signalling pathways by modulation of their negative regulators.

Ketoacids (KA) are known to improve muscle mass among patients with chronic kidney disease (CKD) on a low-protein diet (CKD-LPD), but the mechanism of its preventive effects on muscle atrophy still remains unclear. Since muscle atrophy in CKD may be attributable to the down-regulation of the Wnt7a/Akt/p70S6K pathway and the activation of the ubiquitin–proteasome system (UPS) and the apoptotic signalling pathway, a hypothesis can readily be drawn that KA supplementation improves muscle mass by up-regulating the Wnt7a/Akt/p70S6K pathway and counteracting the activation of the UPS and caspase-3-dependent apoptosis in the muscle of CKD-LPD rats. Rats with 5/6 nephrectomy were randomly divided into three groups, and fed with either 22 % protein (normal-protein diet; NPD), 6 % protein (LPD) or 5 % protein plus 1 % KA for 24 weeks. Sham-operated rats with NPD intake were used as the control. The results demonstrated that KA supplementation improved protein synthesis and increased related mediators such as Wnt7a, phosphorylated Akt and p70S6K in the muscle of CKD-LPD rats. It also inhibited protein degradation, withheld the increase in ubiquitin and its ligases MAFbx (muscle atrophy F-box) and MuRF1 (muscle ring finger-1) as well as attenuated proteasome activity in the muscle of CKD-LPD rats. Moreover, KA supplementation gave rise to a reduction in DNA fragment, cleaved caspase-3 and 14 kDa actin fragment via the down-regulation of the Bax:Bcl-2 ratio in the muscle of CKD-LPD rats. The beneficial effects unveiled herein further consolidate that KA may be a better therapeutic strategy for muscle atrophy in CKD-LPD.

Muscle atrophy increases the production of reactive oxygen species and the expression of atrophy-related genes, which are involved in the ubiquitin–proteasome system. In the present study, we investigated the effects of β-carotene on oxidative stress (100 μm-H2O2)-induced muscle atrophy in murine C2C12 myotubes. β-Carotene (10 μm) restored the H2O2-induced decreased levels of myosin heavy chain and tropomyosin (P< 0·05, n 3) and decreased the H2O2-induced increased levels of ubiquitin conjugates. β-Carotene reduced the H2O2-induced increased expression levels of E3 ubiquitin ligases (Atrogin-1 and MuRF1) and deubiquitinating enzymes (USP14 and USP19) (P< 0·05, n 3) and attenuated the H2O2-induced nuclear localisation of FOXO3a. Furthermore, we determined the effects of β-carotene on denervation-induced muscle atrophy. Male ddY mice (8 weeks old, n 30) were divided into two groups and orally pre-administered micelle with or without β-carotene (0·5 mg once daily) for 2 weeks, followed by denervation in the right hindlimb. β-Carotene was further administered once daily until the end of the experiment. At day 3 after denervation, the ratio of soleus muscle mass in the denervated leg to that in the sham leg was significantly higher in β-carotene-administered mice than in control vehicle-administered ones (P< 0·05, n 5). In the denervated soleus muscle, β-carotene administration significantly decreased the expression levels of Atrogin-1, MuRF1, USP14 and USP19 (P< 0·05, n 5) and the levels of ubiquitin conjugates. These results indicate that β-carotene attenuates soleus muscle loss, perhaps by repressing the expressions of Atrogin-1, MuRF1, USP14 and USP19, at the early stage of soleus muscle atrophy.

Resistance training is recognised as a good strategy for retarding age-related declines in muscle mass and strength. Recent studies have also highlighted the potential value of protein intakes in excess of present recommendations. The roles that leisure-time physical activity and protein quality play in the preservation of skeletal muscle during ageing, and how such influences interact in free-living people are unclear. We sought to clarify these issues using data collected on 2425 participants aged ≥ 50 years in the US National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (2003–2006). We estimated subjects’ usual intakes of total protein and beef from two 24 h diet recalls and computed the appendicular skeletal muscle mass index from anthropometric measures. Participants self-reported their physical activity levels. Analyses accounted for demographic factors and smoking. The association between muscle-strengthening activity and the appendicular skeletal muscle mass index varied with protein intake. Furthermore, among obese subjects with protein intakes < 70 g/d, those who performed such activities had a lower appendicular skeletal muscle mass index than those who were physically inactive. Protein intakes above the present recommendations were associated with benefits to obese subjects only. The appendicular skeletal muscle mass index of non-obese subjects who performed vigorous aerobic activities was consistently high; in obese subjects, it varied with protein intake. High-protein intake was associated with a modest increase in the appendicular skeletal muscle mass index in non-obese, physically inactive subjects. The present findings reinforce the idea that muscle-strengthening exercise preserves muscle when combined with adequate dietary protein. Vigorous aerobic activity may also help.