Glutamate alleviates muscle protein loss by modulating TLR4, NODs, Akt/FOXO and mTOR signaling pathways in LPS-challenged piglets

PLoS One. 2017 Aug 4;12(8):e0182246. doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0182246. eCollection 2017.

Abstract

The experiment was conducted to study the effect of the glutamate (Glu) on muscle protein loss through toll-like receptor 4 (TLR4), nucleotide-binding oligomerization domain proteins (NODs), Akt/Forkhead Box O (Akt/FOXO) and mammalian target of rapamycin (mTOR) signaling pathways in LPS-challenged piglets. Twenty-four weaned piglets were assigned into four treatments: (1) Control; (2) LPS+0% Glu; (3) LPS + 1.0% Glu; (4) LPS + 2.0% Glu. The experiment was lasted for 28 days. On d 28, the piglets in the LPS challenged groups were injected with LPS on 100 μg/kg body weight (BW), and the piglets in the control group were injected with the same volume of 0.9% NaCl solution. After 4 h LPS or saline injection, the piglets were slaughtered and the muscle samples were collected. Glu supplementation increased the protein/DNA ratio in gastrocnemius muscle, and the protein content in longissimus dorsi (LD) muscle after LPS challenge (P<0.05). In addition, Glu supplementation decreased TLR4, IL-1 receptor-associated kinase (IRAK) 1, receptor-interacting serine/threonine-protein kinase (RIPK) 2, and nuclear factor-κB (NF-κB) mRNA expression in gastrocnemius muscle (P<0.05), MyD88 mRNA expression in LD muscle, and FOXO1 mRNA expression in LD muscle (P<0.05). Moreover, Glu supplementation increased p-Akt/t-Akt ratio (P<0.05) in gastrocnemius muscle, and p-4EBP1/t-4EBP1 ratio in both gastrocnemius and LD muscles (P<0.05). Glu supplementation in the piglets' diets might be an effective strategy to alleviate LPS-induced muscle protein loss, which might be due to suppressing the mRNA expression of TLR4 and NODs signaling-related genes, and modulating Akt/FOXO and mTOR signaling pathways.

MeSH terms

  • Animals
  • DNA / metabolism
  • Forkhead Transcription Factors / genetics
  • Forkhead Transcription Factors / metabolism
  • Gene Expression Regulation / drug effects
  • Glutamic Acid / pharmacology*
  • Lipopolysaccharides / pharmacology*
  • Muscle Proteins / genetics
  • Muscle Proteins / metabolism*
  • Muscle, Skeletal / cytology
  • Muscle, Skeletal / drug effects
  • Muscle, Skeletal / metabolism
  • Nod Signaling Adaptor Proteins / genetics
  • Nod Signaling Adaptor Proteins / metabolism
  • Phosphoproteins / genetics
  • Phosphoproteins / metabolism
  • Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-akt / genetics
  • Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-akt / metabolism
  • RNA, Messenger / genetics
  • RNA, Messenger / metabolism
  • Signal Transduction / drug effects*
  • Swine
  • TOR Serine-Threonine Kinases / genetics
  • TOR Serine-Threonine Kinases / metabolism
  • Toll-Like Receptor 4 / genetics
  • Toll-Like Receptor 4 / metabolism

Substances

  • Forkhead Transcription Factors
  • Lipopolysaccharides
  • Muscle Proteins
  • Nod Signaling Adaptor Proteins
  • Phosphoproteins
  • RNA, Messenger
  • Toll-Like Receptor 4
  • Glutamic Acid
  • DNA
  • Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-akt
  • TOR Serine-Threonine Kinases

Grants and funding

Funded by the National Natural Science Foundation of China (31372318 and 31422053), and the Project of the Hubei Provincial Department of Education (T201508), Yulan Liu.