Effects of the Combination of β-Hydroxy-β-Methyl Butyrate and R(+) Lipoic Acid in a Cellular Model of Sarcopenia

The role of nutraceuticals in heart failure muscle wasting as a result of inflammatory activity. The International Lipid Expert Panel (ILEP) Position Paper

Muscle wasting is one of the main causes for exercise intolerance and ventilatory inefficiency in patients with heart failure and a strong predictor of frailty and reduced survival. The prevalence of sarcopenia is at least 20% in patients with heart failure. Patients with heart failure often have subclinical systemic inflammation, which may exert sustained effects on skeletal muscle. Besides exercise, nutrition should also be carefully evaluated as an appropriate diet with selected nutraceuticals may be able to stimulate muscle anabolism and inhibit muscle catabolism. This review summarizes the epidemiological and clinical trial evidence supporting the recommendations for the use of nutraceuticals with anti-inflammatory properties in heart failure and provides an overview of the state of the evidence for nutraceutical supplementation to prevent and/or mitigate heart failure muscle wasting.

Extrahepatic organs in the development of non-alcoholic fatty liver disease in liver transplant patients

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVE

Non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) is highly prevalent in patients who undergo liver transplantation (LT). Whereas there is huge data on NAFLD, little is known about NAFLD in LT. In this review, we aim to explore extrahepatic organs and their potential mechanisms in the development of NAFLD in LT patients and discuss current limitations in preclinical and clinical scenarios with suggestions for future study.

METHODS

The following keywords, such as NAFLD, NASH, liver transplant, therapy, pathogenesis and biomarkers, were set for literature retrieval. The articles which were published articles in English till 25th June 2020 in PubMed database were included, and there is no limit for the study design type.

KEY CONTENT AND FINDINGS

Following LT, there are significant shifts in the microbiota and farnesoid X receptor may be a potential therapeutic target for NAFLD in LT settings. The roles of probiotics and diet on NALFD remain inconclusive in LT background. Nevertheless, the adipokines and cytokines disorder and local insulin resistance of adipose tissue may contribute to NAFLD process. Bariatric surgeries are promising in controlling de novo and recurrent NAFLD with significant reduction in abdominal adipose tissue, despite the optimal timing is inconclusive in LT cases. Furthermore, circumstantial evidence indicates that miRNA-33a may function as a mediator bridging sarcopenia and NAFLD of post-LT. β-Hydroxy-β-Methyl-Butyrate treatment could improve muscle status in graft recipients and shows protective potential for NAFLD in LT settings.

CONCLUSIONS

Gut, adipose tissue and muscle are intricately intertwined in promoting NAFLD in LT cases. Further animal studies are needed to deepen our understanding of mechanisms in multi-organ crosstalk. High quality clinical trials are warrant for making guidelines and developing management strategies on NAFLD after LT.

Beneficial Effect of H2S-Releasing Molecules in an In Vitro Model of Sarcopenia: Relevance of Glucoraphanin

Sarcopenia is a gradual and generalized skeletal muscle (SKM) syndrome, characterized by the impairment of muscle components and functionality. Hydrogen sulfide (H₂S), endogenously formed within the body from the activity of cystathionine-γ-lyase (CSE), cystathionine- β-synthase (CBS), and mercaptopyruvate sulfurtransferase, is involved in SKM function. Here, in an in vitro model of sarcopenia based on damage induced by dexamethasone (DEX, 1 μM, 48 h treatment) in C2C12-derived myotubes, we investigated the protective potential of exogenous and endogenous sources of H₂S, i.e., glucoraphanin (30 μM), L-cysteine (150 μM), and 3-mercaptopyruvate (150 μM). DEX impaired the H₂S signalling in terms of a reduction in CBS and CSE expression and H₂S biosynthesis. Glucoraphanin and 3-mercaptopyruvate but not L-cysteine prevented the apoptotic process induced by DEX. In parallel, the H₂S-releasing molecules reduced the oxidative unbalance evoked by DEX, reducing catalase activity, O₂⁻ levels, and protein carbonylation. Glucoraphanin, 3-mercaptopyruvate, and L-cysteine avoided the changes in myotubes morphology and morphometrics after DEX treatment. In conclusion, in an in vitro model of sarcopenia, an impairment in CBS/CSE/H₂S signalling occurs, whereas glucoraphanin, a natural H₂S-releasing molecule, appears more effective for preventing the SKM damage. Therefore, glucoraphanin supplementation could be an innovative therapeutic approach in the management of sarcopenia.

Effect of Tomato Peel Extract Grown under Drought Stress Condition in a Sarcopenia Model

Tomatoes and their derivates represent an important source of natural biologically active components. The present study aims to investigate the protective effect of tomato peel extracts, grown in normal (RED-Ctr) or in drought stress (RED-Ds) conditions, on an experimental model of sarcopenia. The phenolic profile and total polyphenols content (TPC) of RED-Ctr and RED-Ds were determined by Ultra High-Performance Liquid Chromatography (UHPLC) analyses coupled to electrospray ionization high-resolution mass spectrometry (ESI-HR-MS). Human skeletal muscle myoblasts (HSMM) were differentiated in myotubes, and sarcopenia was induced by dexamethasone (DEXA) treatment. Differentiation and sarcopenia were evaluated by both real-time PCR and immunofluorescent techniques. Data show that myosin heavy chain 2 (MYH2), troponin T (TNNT1), and miogenin (MYOG) were expressed in differentiated myotubes. 5 μg Gallic Acid Equivalent (GAE/mL) of TPC from RED-Ds extract significantly reduced muscle atrophy induced by DEXA. Moreover, Forkhead BoxO1 (FOXO1) expression, involved in cell atrophy, was significantly decreased by RED-Ds extract. The protective effect of tomato peel extracts depended on their qualitative polyphenolic composition, resulting effectively in the in vitro model of sarcopenia.