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The action of glucocorticoids in high doses is catabolic, but not much is known about the accompanying effects on antioxidative capacity of the entire body. Animals were treated (or not) with dexamethasone (Dex) 2 mg/kg b.w. d-1 during 5 consecutive days followed by recovery, during which an additional group received 3-hydroxy-3-methylbutyrate (40 mg/kg b.w.). Animals were killed after treatment with Dex, and after 5 days of the recovery period. Dexamethasone treatment decreased appetite almost twofold (from 20 g/day to 10 g/day, P < 0.001). Feed restriction, however, seemed to have only minor impact on the effects observed since body weight loss of pair-fed rats after the 5th day of treatment was only 2% and Dex-treated rats decrease in body weight was 22% (P < 0.05). In turn, wet weight of the soleus muscle (expressed per body weight) did not significantly decrease after Dex treatment, suggesting relative resistance of oxidative type muscles to the catabolic action of dexamethasone. Spleen wet weight expressed per body weight dropped by 65% (P<0.001). Additionally, there was a 46% reduction (P<0.001) of blood glutathione (GSH/Hb), and 36% (P < 0.001) of muscle glutathione (GSH/tissue wet weight). This suggests that dexamethasone directly and/or indirectly impaired antioxidant reactions. This was further confirmed by a significant (49%) decline of SOD-1 activity in erythrocytes isolated from the group treated with dexamethasone. Another index of lipid peroxidation (TBARS) was also significantly increased. Activity of blood plasma CK increased by 73% (P<0.001) in Dex-treated rats, indicating moderate injury of muscle tissue. In conclusion, young growing rats were sensitive to the dosage of dexamethasone, but in contrast to lymphoid tissue, could easily compensate the outcomes of impaired antioxidative defence within 5 days of recovery.

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-Insulin plays a major role in the regulation of skeletal muscle protein turnover but its mechanism of action is not fully understood, especially in vivo during catabolic states. These aspects are presently reviewed. Insulin inhibits the ATP-ubiquitin proteasome proteolytic pathway which is presumably the predominant pathway involved in the breakdown of muscle protein. Evidence

Insulin resistance in 3-day streptozotocin (STZ)-treated rats was manifested by the lack of antiproteolytic action of insulin as well as by a reduction of its stimulatory effect on protein synthesis (-60% compared with the control group) in epitrochlearis muscle incubated in vitro. In the present study, we have investigated the diabetes-associated alterations in the insulin signalling cascade, especially the phosphatidylinositol-3 kinase (PI-3 kinase)/p70 S6 kinase (p70(S6K)) pathway, in rat skeletal muscle. LY 294002, a specific inhibitor of PI-3 kinase, markedly decreased the basal rate of protein synthesis and completely prevented insulin-mediated stimulation of this process both in control and diabetic rats. Thus, PI-3 kinase is required for insulin-stimulated muscle protein synthesis in diabetic rats as in the controls. Rapamycin, an inhibitor of mammalian target of rapamycin (mTOR), had no effect on the basal rate of protein synthesis in either of the experimental groups. In control rats, the stimulatory action of insulin on muscle protein synthesis was diminished by 36% in the presence of rapamycin, whereas in diabetic muscles this reduction amounted to 68%. The rapamycin-sensitive pathway makes a relatively greater contribution to the stimulatory effect of insulin on muscle protein synthesis in diabetic rats compared with the controls, due presumably to the preferential decrease in the rapamycin-insensitive component of protein synthesis. Neither basal nor insulin-stimulated p70(S6K) activity, a signalling element lying downstream of mTOR, were modified by STZ-diabetes.

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Summary In the blood of 11 foals and their lactating mothers (Standardbred) diurnal changes in the cortisol level, neutrophil number and lyzozyme activity were studied during the first 13 weeks of life. The investigations began when a foal reached 7 days of age and were repeated every two weeks till 13 weeks of age. Blood samples were taken from the jugular vein every 4 hours for one day. Experiments were repeated in two following years. In the first year 6 mares and 6 foals born by these mares were examined, and in the second year — 5 of the mares from the first year and the 5 new foals borne by them. All horses were kept and fed under the same conditions. Diurnal rhythm in neutrophil number and lyzozyme activity was found neither in foals nor in mares. In the cortisol level a diurnal rhythm was found as early as in the first week of life of a foal as well as in the first week of lactation in mares. The mean diurnal values of cortisol level and lyzozyme activity in foal blood were lower by 58% and 22%, respectively, in comparison with mares.