l-Arginine supplementation improves antioxidant defenses through l-arginine/nitric oxide pathways in exercised rats

Abstract

l-Arginine (l-Arg) supplementation has been shown to enhance physical exercise capacity and delay onset of fatigue. This work investigated the potential beneficial mechanism(s) of l-Arg supplementation by examining its effect on the cellular oxidative and nitrosative stress pathways in the exercised rats. Forty-eight rats were randomly divided into six groups: sedentary control; sedentary control with l-Arg treatment; endurance training (daily swimming training for 8 wk) control; endurance training with l-Arg treatment; an exhaustive exercise (one time swimming to fatigue) control; and an exhaustive exercise with l-Arg treatment. l-Arg (500 mg/kg body wt) or saline was given to rats by intragastric administration 1 h before the endurance training and the exhaustive swimming test. Expression levels and activities of the l-Arg/nitric oxide (NO) pathway components and parameters of the oxidative stress and antioxidant defense capacity were investigated in l-Arg-treated and control rats. The result show that the l-Arg supplementation completely reversed the exercise-induced activation of NO synthase and superoxide dismutase, increased l-Arg transport capacity, and increased NO and anti-superoxide anion levels. These data demonstrate that l-Arg supplementation effectively reduces the exercise-induced imbalance between oxidative stress and antioxidant defense capacity, and this modulation is likely mediated through the l-Arg/NO pathways. The findings of this study improved our understanding of how l-Arg supplementation prevents elevations of reactive oxygen species and favorably enhances the antioxidant defense capacity during physical exercise.

Argininosuccinate synthase 1 is an intrinsic Akt repressor transactivated by p53

“…Emerging evidence has revealed that arginine has antioxidant properties ( 30 , 31 ); thus, arginine supplementation exhibited a protective effect against radiation toxicity ( 32 – 34 ). Accordingly, we assumed that Ass1 might be a key molecule to determine the sensitivity toward genotoxic stress.…”

Insulinotropic and antidiabetic effects of β‐caryophyllene with l ‐arginine in type 2 diabetic rats

“…The combination of BCP with LA showed a comparable antioxidant effect with a standard group. The additive effect of BCP and LA combination treatment in oxidative stress might be because of increased expression of CB2 receptors and l ‐arginine/nitric oxide pathway (Shan, Wang, Gao, Cao, & Zhang, ). This shows a combinational approach of BCP and LA could reduce the oxidative stress in T2DM conditions.…”

Plasma asymmetric dimethylarginine concentrations are not related to differences in maximal oxygen uptake in endurance trained and untrained men

“…The differences that we observed for these two ratios between the HI-FIT and LO-FIT groups, as well as their weak correlations withV O 2 max , can be explained by at least three hypotheses. Second, changes in the expression and/or activity of cationic amino acid transporters responsible for the ADMA and L-arginine cellular influx and efflux could be altered with endurance exercise training (Shan, Wang, Gao, Cao, & Zhang, 2013) and contribute to differences in exchange dynamics of some of the L-arginine analogues between the two groups. Second, changes in the expression and/or activity of cationic amino acid transporters responsible for the ADMA and L-arginine cellular influx and efflux could be altered with endurance exercise training (Shan, Wang, Gao, Cao, & Zhang, 2013) and contribute to differences in exchange dynamics of some of the L-arginine analogues between the two groups.…”