Increased dietary LCn−3PUFA (long-chain n−3 polyunsaturated fatty acid) intake stimulates muscle protein anabolism in individuals who experience muscle loss due to aging or cancer cachexia. However, it is not known whether LCn−3PUFAs elicit similar anabolic effects in healthy individuals. To answer this question, we evaluated the effect of 8 weeks of LCn−3PUFA supplementation (4 g of Lovaza®/day) in nine 25–45-year-old healthy subjects on the rate of muscle protein synthesis (by using stable isotope-labelled tracer techniques) and the activation (phosphorylation) of elements of the mTOR (mammalian target of rapamycin)/p70S6K (p70 S6 kinase) signalling pathway during basal post-absorptive conditions and during a hyperinsulinaemic–hyperaminoacidaemic clamp. We also measured the concentrations of protein, RNA and DNA in muscle to obtain indices of the protein synthetic capacity, translational efficiency and cell size. Neither the basal muscle protein fractional synthesis rate nor basal signalling element phosphorylation changed in response to LCn−3PUFA supplementation, but the anabolic response to insulin and amino acid infusion was greater after LCn−3PUFA [i.e. the muscle protein fractional synthesis rate during insulin and amino acid infusion increased from 0.062±0.004 to 0.083±0.007%/h and the phospho-mTOR (Ser2448) and phospho-p70S6K (Thr389) levels increased by ∼50%; all P<0.05]. In addition, the muscle protein concentration and the protein/DNA ratio (i.e. muscle cell size) were both greater (P<0.05) after LCn−3PUFA supplementation. We conclude that LCn−3PUFAs have anabolic properties in healthy young and middle-aged adults.
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Research Article|
May 27 2011
Omega-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids augment the muscle protein anabolic response to hyperinsulinaemia–hyperaminoacidaemia in healthy young and middle-aged men and women
Gordon I. Smith;
Gordon I. Smith
*Center for Human Nutrition, Division of Geriatrics and Nutritional Sciences, Washington University School of Medicine, St Louis, MO 63110, U.S.A.
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Philip Atherton;
Philip Atherton
†School of Graduate Entry Medicine and Health, University of Nottingham, Derby DE22 3DT, U.K.
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Dominic N. Reeds;
Dominic N. Reeds
*Center for Human Nutrition, Division of Geriatrics and Nutritional Sciences, Washington University School of Medicine, St Louis, MO 63110, U.S.A.
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B. Selma Mohammed;
B. Selma Mohammed
*Center for Human Nutrition, Division of Geriatrics and Nutritional Sciences, Washington University School of Medicine, St Louis, MO 63110, U.S.A.
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Debbie Rankin;
Debbie Rankin
†School of Graduate Entry Medicine and Health, University of Nottingham, Derby DE22 3DT, U.K.
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Michael J. Rennie;
Michael J. Rennie
†School of Graduate Entry Medicine and Health, University of Nottingham, Derby DE22 3DT, U.K.
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Bettina Mittendorfer
*Center for Human Nutrition, Division of Geriatrics and Nutritional Sciences, Washington University School of Medicine, St Louis, MO 63110, U.S.A.
Correspondence: Dr Bettina Mittendorfer (email [email protected]).
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Publisher: Portland Press Ltd
Received:
December 08 2010
Revision Received:
March 16 2011
Accepted:
April 19 2011
Accepted Manuscript online:
April 19 2011
Online ISSN: 1470-8736
Print ISSN: 0143-5221
© The Authors Journal compilation © 2011 Biochemical Society
2011
Clin Sci (Lond) (2011) 121 (6): 267–278.
Article history
Received:
December 08 2010
Revision Received:
March 16 2011
Accepted:
April 19 2011
Accepted Manuscript online:
April 19 2011
Connected Content
A commentary has been published:
Measuring muscle protein synthesis in humans and the influence of nutritional state
Citation
Gordon I. Smith, Philip Atherton, Dominic N. Reeds, B. Selma Mohammed, Debbie Rankin, Michael J. Rennie, Bettina Mittendorfer; Omega-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids augment the muscle protein anabolic response to hyperinsulinaemia–hyperaminoacidaemia in healthy young and middle-aged men and women. Clin Sci (Lond) 1 September 2011; 121 (6): 267–278. doi: https://doi.org/10.1042/CS20100597
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