Dietary Leucine Supplementation Restores Serum Glucose Levels, and Modifying Hepatic Gene Expression Related to the Insulin Signal Pathway in IUGR Piglets

l-Leucine supplementation reduces growth performance accompanied by changed profiles of plasma amino acids and expression of jejunal amino acid transporters in breast-fed intra-uterine growth-retarded piglets

Previously, we provided an evidence that l-Leucine supplementation facilitates growth performance in suckling piglets with normal birth weight. However, it remains hitherto obscure weather breast-fed piglets displaying intra-uterine growth restriction (IUGR) show a similar effect in response to l-Leucine provision. In this study, 7-d-old sow-reared IUGR piglets were orally administrated with l-Leucine (0, 0·7, 1·4 or 2·1 g/kg BW) twice daily for 2 weeks. Increasing leucine levels hampered the growth performance of suckling IUGR piglets. The average daily gain of IUGR piglets was significantly reduced in 1·4 g/kg BW and 2·1 g/kg BW l-Leucine supplementation groups (P < 0·05). Except for ornithine and glutamine, the plasma concentrations of other amino acids were abated as l-Leucine levels increased (P < 0·05). Leucine supplementation led to reduction in the levels of urea, blood ammonia, blood glucose, TAG and total cholesterol, as well as an elevation in the level of LDL-cholesterol in suckling IUGR piglets (P < 0·05). In addition, 1·4 g/kg BW of l-Leucine enhanced the mRNA expression of ATB0,+, whereas decreased the mRNA abundances of CAT1, y + LAT1, ASCT2 and b0,+AT in the jejunum (P < 0·05). Concomitantly, the jejunum of IUGR piglets in l-Leucine group contains more ATB0,+ and less SNAT2 protein than in the control (P < 0·05). Collectively, l-Leucine supplementation impairs growth performance in breast-fed IUGR piglets, which may be associated with depressed nutritional conditions and alterations in the uptake of amino acids and the expression of amino acid transporters in the small intestine.

An oral gavage of lysine elicited early satiation while gavages of lysine, leucine, or isoleucine prolonged satiety in pigs

Excess dietary amino acids (AA) may negatively affect feed intake in pigs. Previous results showed that Lys, Leu, Ile, Phe, and Glu significantly increased gut peptide secretion (i.e., cholecystokinin, glucagon-like peptide 1). However, the link between dietary AA and gut peptide secretion with changes in feeding behavior patterns has not been demonstrated to date in pigs. The aim of the present study was to determine the effect of Lys, Leu, Ile, Phe, and Glu, on feed intake and meal patterns in young pigs. Twelve male pigs (Landrace × Large White, body weight = 16.10 ± 2.69 kg) were administered an oral gavage of water (control) or Lys, Leu, Ile, Phe, Glu, or glucose (positive control) at 3 mmol.kg-1 following an overnight fasting. The experiment consisted in measuring individual feed disappearance and changes in meal pattern (including latency to first meal, first meal duration, intermeal interval, second meal duration, and number of meals) based on video footage. Compared to the control group Lys significantly (P ≤ 0.01) reduced feed intake during the first 30 min and up to 2.5 h post-gavage, including a reduction (P ≤ 0.05) in the first meal duration. Similarly, Leu and Ile also significantly decreased feed intake up to 3 h post-gavage on a cumulative count. However, the strongest (P ≤ 0.01) impacts on feed intake by the two branched chained AA were observed after the first- or second-hour post-gavage for Leu or Ile, respectively. In addition, Leu or Ile did not affect the first meal duration (P ≥ 0.05). Leu significantly increased (P ≤ 0.01) the intermeal interval while decreasing (P ≤ 0.05) the number of meals during the initial 2 h following the gavage when compared with the control group. In contrast, the oral gavages of Phe or Glu had no significant impact (P > 0.05) on the feeding behavior parameters measured relative to the control pigs. In turn, glucose had a short-lived effect on appetite by reducing (P < 0.05) feed intake for 30 min after the first-hour post-gavage. In conclusion, the impact of an oral gavage of Lys on feeding behavior is compatible with a stimulation of early satiation and an increased duration of satiety. The main impact of the oral gavages of Leu and Ile was an increase in the duration of satiety. The gastrointestinal mechanisms associated with non-bound dietary AA sensing and the impact on voluntary feed intake warrant further investigations.

Leucine Alters Blood Parameters and Regulates Hepatic Protein Synthesis via mTOR Activation in Intrauterine Growth Restriction Piglets

Neonatal piglets often suffer low birth weights and poor growth performance accompanied by the disruption of protein metabolism, when intrauterine growth restriction (IUGR) takes place during pregnancy, leading to a higher mortality and bigger economic loss than expected. Leucine has been proposed to function as a nutritional signal regulating protein synthesis in numerous studies. The aim of this study was to determine the effect of dietary leucine supplementation on the blood parameters and hepatic protein metabolism in IUGR piglets. Weaned piglets were assigned to one of four to treatments in a 2 × 2 factorial arrangement: (1) piglets fed a basal diet with normal birth weight; (2) piglets fed a basal diet plus 0.35% L-leucine with normal birth weight; (3) IUGR piglets fed a basal diet with low birth weight; (4) IUGR piglets fed a basal diet plus 0.35% L-leucine with low birth weight. The results showed that IUGR decreased serum aspartate aminotransferase and alkaline phosphatase activities, increased serum cortisol and prostaglandin E2 levels at 35 days of age (P < 0.05), suggesting the occurrence of liver dysfunction and stress response. Leucine supplementation increased serum alkaline phosphatase activity, and decreased serum cortisol levels at 35 days of age (P < 0.05). IUGR decreased the lysozyme activity and complement 3 level in serum (P < 0.05), which were prevented by dietary leucine supplementation. IUGR piglets showed increased hepatic DNA contents while showing reduced RNA/DNA ratio (P < 0.05). Piglets supplied with leucine had decreased RNA/DNA ratio in the liver (P < 0.05). Leucine supplementation stimulated hepatic protein anabolism through up-regulating protein synthesis related genes expression and activating the phosphorylation of mammalian/mechanistic target of rapamycin (mTOR) (P < 0.05). Moreover, IUGR inhibited the mRNA expression of hepatic protein degradation related genes, indicating a compensatory mechanism for the metabolic response. Dietary leucine supplementation attenuated the suppression of the protein catabolism induced by IUGR in liver. These results demonstrate that dietary leucine supplementation could alter the blood parameters, alleviated the disrupted protein metabolism induced by IUGR via enhanced mTOR phosphorylation to promote protein synthesis in weaned piglets.

CCK and GLP-1 release in response to proteinogenic amino acids using a small intestine ex vivo model in pigs

The impact of individual amino acids (AA) on gut hormone secretion and appetite regulation in pigs remains largely unknown. The aim of the present study was to determine the effect of the 20 proteinogenic AA on the release of the anorexigenic hormones cholecystokinin (CCK) and glucagon-like peptide 1 (GLP-1) in postweaning pigs. Six 25-d-old male piglets (Domestic Landrace × Large White; body weight = 6.94 ± 0.29 kg) were humanely killed for the collection of intestinal segments from the duodenum, jejunum, and ileum. Tissue samples from the three intestinal segments were used to determine which of the regions were more relevant for the analysis of gut peptides. Only the segments with the highest CCK and GLP-1 secretion and expression levels were evaluated with the 20 individual AA. Tissue segments were cut open, cleaned, and stripped of their muscle layer before identical circular samples were collected and incubated in 24-well plates for 1 h (37 °C, 5% v/v CO₂). The culture broth consisted of a glucose-free KRB buffer containing no added AA (control) or with the addition of 10 mM of 1 of the 20 proteinogenic AA. Following incubation, tissues and supernatant were collected for gene expression and secretion analysis of CCK and GLP-1 levels. CCK secretion and mRNA expression were higher (P < 0.05) in duodenum when compared with proximal jejunum or ileum, whereas GLP-1/proglucagon levels were higher in ileum vs. duodenum (P < 0.05) and jejunum (P < 0.05, for GLP-1 only) in postweaning pigs. Based on these results, the effect of AA on CCK and GLP-1 secretion was studied in the duodenum and ileum, respectively. None of the AA tested stimulated both anorexigenic hormones. Of all the essential AA, Ile, Leu, Met, and Trp significantly (P < 0.05) stimulated GLP-1 from the ileum, while only Phe stimulated CCK from the duodenum. Of the nonessential AA, amide AA (Gln and Asn) caused the release of CCK, while Glu and Arg increased the release of GLP-1 from the ileum. Interpreting the results in the context of the digestion and absorption dynamics, non-bound AA are quickly absorbed and have their effect on gut peptide secretion limited to the proximal small intestine (i.e., duodenum), thus, mainly CCK. In contrast, protein-bound AA would only stimulate CCK release from the duodenum through feedback mechanisms (such as through GLP-1 secreted mainly in the ileum).

Zanthoxylum alkylamides ameliorate protein metabolism in type 2 diabetes mellitus rats by regulating multiple signaling pathways

Type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) can easily induce insulin resistance (IR) in skeletal muscle, causing protein metabolism disorder and inflammation. The present study aimed to investigate whether Zanthoxylum alkylamides (ZA) could ameliorate T2DM through regulating protein metabolism disorder by using a rat model of T2DM. The predominant bioactive constituents found in ZA were hydroxyl-α-sanshool, hydroxyl-β-sanshool and hydroxyl-γ-sanshool. The results showed that ZA improved a series of biochemical indices associated with protein metabolism and inflammation in T2DM rats. Our mechanistic finding indicated that ZA promoted protein anabolism in T2DM rats by up-regulating the phosphoinositide 3-kinase (PI3K)/protein kinase B (Akt)/mammalian target of rapamycin (mTOR) signaling pathway. ZA also promoted glucose transportation in skeletal muscle to ameliorate skeletal muscle IR and energy metabolism through regulating the AMP-activated protein kinase (AMPK) signaling pathway. Moreover, ZA inhibited protein degradation and improved protein catabolism disorder in T2DM rats by down-regulating the PI3K/Akt/forkhead box O (FoxO) signaling pathway, and ZA further ameliorated inflammation to inhibit protein catabolism via regulating the tumor necrosis factor α (TNF-α)/nuclear factor κB (NF-κB) pathway in the skeletal muscle of T2DM rats. Collectively, the ameliorating effect of ZA on protein metabolism disorder in T2DM rats was the common result of regulating multiple signaling pathways. ZA decreased skeletal muscle IR to promote protein anabolism and inhibit protein catabolism for improving protein metabolism disorder, thus ultimately ameliorating T2DM. In sum, our findings demonstrated that ZA treatment could effectively ameliorate T2DM through improving protein metabolism, providing a new treatment target for T2DM.