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l-Arginine and TNFα Production in Macrophages: A Focus on Metabolism, Aging, Metabolic Syndrome, and Type 2 Diabetes

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L-Arginine in Clinical Nutrition

Part of the book series: Nutrition and Health ((NH))

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Abstract

Arginine (Arg) has long been known to be a major regulator of immunity via its metabolic and physiological functions. In the 1950s, it was classified as a non-essential amino acid by Rose since Arg could be synthesized at the whole body level, mainly in the kidneys, after the conversion of intestinal citrulline (Cit) via argininosuccinate synthase (ASS) and argininosuccinate lyase (ASL). But things changed when Barbul et al. (Surg Forum 28:101–103, 1977) observed, surprisingly, that Arg was an immunomodulator via a thymic effect. At the same time, they observed that Arg could be essential in several situations, like growth or sepsis. Finally in the 1990s, Albina et al. (J Immunol 147:144–148, 1991) demonstrated that macrophages were able to produce nitric oxide (NO). These pioneering observations opened a new field of research focused on the regulation of macrophage functions by Arg.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Laboratoire de Biologie de la Nutrition, Faculté de Pharmacie, Université Paris Descartes, 4 avenue de l’Observatoire, 75270, Paris Cedex 06, France

    Charlotte Breuillard PhD

  2. Laboratoire de bioénergétique fondamentale et appliquée – U 1055, Université Joseph Fourier – UFR Chimie Biologie, 2280 rue de la Piscine, Batîment B, 38400, Saint Martin d’Hères, France

    Christophe Moinard PhD

  3. Clermont Université, Université d’Auvergne, Unité de Nutrition Humaine, Equipe ECREIN, BP 10448, 63000, Clermont-Ferrand, France

    Marie-Chantal Farges PhD

  4. INRA, UMR 1019, UNH, CRNH Auvergne, 63000, Clermont-Ferrand, France

    Marie-Chantal Farges PhD

  5. Laboratoire de Biochimie, Biologie Moléculaire et Nutrition, Faculté de Pharmacie, 28 place Henri-Dunant, BP 38, 63001, Clermont-Ferrand Cedex, France

    Marie-Chantal Farges PhD

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  1. Charlotte Breuillard PhD
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Correspondence to Charlotte Breuillard PhD .

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Editors and Affiliations

  1. Faculty of Science & Technology Department of Biomedical Sciences, University of Westminster, London, United Kingdom

    Vinood B. Patel

  2. Department Nutrition and Dietetics Nutritional Sciences Division School of Biomedical & Health Sciences, King’s College London, London, United Kingdom

    Victor R. Preedy

  3. Nutritional Sciences Research Division Faculty of Life Science and Medicine, King’s College London, London, United Kingdom

    Rajkumar Rajendram

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Breuillard, C., Moinard, C., Farges, MC. (2017). l-Arginine and TNFα Production in Macrophages: A Focus on Metabolism, Aging, Metabolic Syndrome, and Type 2 Diabetes. In: Patel, V., Preedy, V., Rajendram, R. (eds) L-Arginine in Clinical Nutrition. Nutrition and Health. Humana Press, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-26009-9_11

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-26009-9_11

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