This study evaluated the ability of common ergogenic supplement components to alter satellite cell proliferative activity in vitro. Compounds studied were cinnamic acid, ferulic acid, L-glutathione, β-hydroxybutyric acid, calcium-β-hydroxy-β-methylbutyrate monohydrate, DL-thioctic acid (α-lipoic acid), and ornithine α-ketoglutarate. Satellite cells were exposed to different levels of ergogenic test compound for a specified amount of time and analyzed by counting mononucleated and multinucleated cells. At the levels evaluated, none of these compounds altered satellite cell proliferation over that of control cultures (p > 0.05). Four of the compounds were shown to alter satellite cell differentiation over control cultures (p < 0.05), but due to the small amounts of fusion, the biological relevance is in question (e.g. differences in small numbers). These data suggest that a few of the ergogenic compounds examined by this laboratory do influence satellite cell activity in vitro. However, additional studies are vital in order to define the biological relevance of our observations.
Postnatal muscle stem cells, recognized as myogenic satellite cells, were isolated from sheep skeletal muscle and used in these experiments. Forty-one different metabolic compounds that are commonly found in commercially-available oral supplements were exposed to primary muscle stem cell cultures, in an effort to ascertain whether any one compound could alter satellite cell proliferation or differentiation (a first step towards elucidating the metabolomics or nutrigenomics of these stem cells). These compounds included energetic moieties, amino acid analogs, fatty acids and analogs including different forms of conjugated linoleic acid, minerals and mineral conjugates, insect hormones, caffeine, plant extracts, and extracts from over-the-counter supplements, and were obtained by key manufacturers in a form that would be commercially available. The compounds were sterilized and then exposed to myogenic satellite cell cultures at different levels (ranging from toxic to physiologic) to ascertain if there would be an effect. The results suggested that exposure of satellite cells to only a few compounds resulted in any measurable effect(s). Ten compounds elicited increases in proliferation, and four compounds promoted increases in differentiation. These results suggest avenues for the exploration of enhancing muscle stem cell activity of interest for muscle wasting disorders, sarcopenia of aging and physical performance.
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