Influence of dietary arginine on the anabolic effects of androgens

Abstract

Feeding mice an arginine-deficient diet decreased plasma concentrations of arginine, citrulline and ornithine in the females and arginine in the males, abolishing the sexual dimorphic pattern of these amino acids found in mice fed the standard diet. In addition, the restriction of dietary arginine produced a marked decrease in body and renal weights as well as in the activity of renal ornithine decarboxylase, decreases that were gender dependent since they were observed exclusively in males. The fact that these changes were not associated with the decrease in the circulating levels of testosterone and that the dietary arginine restriction prevented the body weight gain induced by testosterone treatment of female mice fed the standard diet indicates that dietary arginine is required for the anabolic action of androgens. Moreover, under certain conditions that could compromise the renal synthesis of arginine, as in the compensatory renal hypertrophy that follows unilateral nephrectomy, the myotrophic effect of testosterone was transiently impaired. The results also revealed that arginine deficiency produced an opposite effect in the expression of IGF-I and IGF-binding protein 1 in the liver and kidney. Taken together, our results indicate that dietary arginine may be relevant to the anabolic action of testosterone, and suggest that this effect may be mediated by changes in the insulin-like growth factor system.

The Role of Coconut Water on Nicotine-Induced Reproductive Dysfunction in Experimental Male Rat Model

“…In the male rats, plasma LH is responsible for maintaining the normal plasma testosterone concentration [1] [31]. The high level of testosterone in testis is essential for the normal spermatogenesis as well as for the maintenance of the structural morphology and the normal physiology of seminiferous tubule [32]. The high cholesterol content observed in the serum and tissues in nicotine treated rats also indicates the reduction in the androgen production due to lowered conversion of cholesterol to androgens which depends on the pituitary gonadotrophins.…”

MicroRNA regulation in Ames dwarf mouse liver may contribute to delayed aging

“…A recent study shows that ODC1 activity and IGF‐I and IGF‐binding protein reductions result from dietary deficiencies of l ‐arginine (Cremades et al. , 2004).…”

Enhancement of Polyphenol Content and Antioxidant Activity of Brown Alga Eisenia bicyclis Extract by Microbial Fermentation

“…Similar to the reducing sugar content, the FAAs appeared to be used as a substrate for yeast growth during fermentation. For example, the phosphorylated serine content, which has proposed anti-obesity effects (Cremades et al, 2004), increased until 5 days of fermentation.…”