L-Arginine Supplementation Causes Additional Effects on Exercise-Induced Angiogenesis and VEGF Expression in the Heart and Hind-Leg Muscles of Middle-Aged Rats

Abstract

Abstract:The effects of dietary L-arginine supplementation on exercise-induced angiogenesis and VEGF expression were examined in male middle-aged (12 months old) Wistar rats. Exercise training lasted for six weeks at 20 m/min on a 0% gradient for 10-60 min/day. Rats in the L-arginine-treated groups drank water containing 2.5% L-arginine. According to histochemical identification of the capillary profile, in the soleus muscle the capillary-to-fiber (C:F) ratio showed a significantly greater value in the L-arginine-treated training group than in both the sedentary control and training groups. Training with L-arginine significantly increased the C:F ratio in the subendocardium of the left ventricle, whereas training alone did not. In the plantaris muscle, training with or without L-arginine significantly increased the capillary density, but it did not affect the C:F ratio. A Western blot analysis showed that training with L-arginine significantly increased VEGF protein expression by 2.9-fold in the soleus muscle and by 1.7-fold in the left ventricle, but the increase with training alone was insignificant. The tissue endothelial nitric oxide synthase protein levels were significantly increased in both the soleus (by 1.3-fold) and the left ventricle (by 1.4-fold) only after training with L-arginine supplementation. In the plantaris muscle, these protein levels did not change after either training or L-arginine treatment. The present results suggest that in middle-aged rats, L-arginine administration caused additional effects on exercise-induced angiogenesis by presumably promoting VEGF expression in the hind-leg muscle as well as in the left ventricle.

Synthesis and biological evaluation of arginyl–diosgenin conjugate as a potential bone tissue engineering agent

“…[20,21] Furthermore, Arg was suggested to promote angiogenesis, stimulate insulin secretion, promote osteoblast differentiation, and enhance collagen synthesis, which are critical for bone formation. [22][23][24] Based on these observations, we proposed that Arg could improve the solubility of DG, decrease its cytotoxicity against normal cells, and modify its biological activities. In this study, we successfully synthesized a water-soluble arginyl-diosgenin (Arg-DG) conjugate by coupling Arg with the extracted DG.…”

Interferência da L-arginina e do exercício físico sobre a morfologia do músculo estriado esquelético em ratos jovens

“…However, our results clash with these, corroborating more recent studies. Lin et al 15 , Suzuki 16 and Huang et al 17 analyzed body weight of Wistar rats with different ages, submitted to many different kinds of physical exercises and administration of L-arginine in variable quantities. Such investigations did not prove difference in body weight of the studied animals.…”

“…The oral ingestion of the L-arginine amino acid has been efficient in increasing the angiogenesis induced by physical exercise through increase of expression of the vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) 16 . Some authors have reported that the increase of the VEGF levels in patients results in increase of collateral arterial circulation 28 .…”

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“…Очень важными для представителей этого вида спорта являются также межмышечные и нервно-мышечные взаимодейст-вия [8,39]. В данном случае обеспечение прироста высота прыжка с места со штангой и высоты подъ-ема штанги в рывке в значительной степени связа-но с направленным влиянием L-аргинина [58], а, следовательно, и препарата на его основе -тивор-тин аспартата -на процессы в центральной и автономной нервной системах. Улучшение психо-физиологических характеристик спортсменов при курсовом приеме этого препарата является одним из опосредованных механизмов улучшения соревновательного результатов у представителей тяжелой атлетики [13,18], что обусловливает целесообразность применения тивортин аспартата в практике подготовки спортсменов.…”