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Enteral Leucine and Protein Synthesis in Skeletal and Cardiac Muscle

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Branched Chain Amino Acids in Clinical Nutrition

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

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Abstract

After more than a decade of research, it is now well recognized that leucine is a unique amino acid that not only serves as a substrate for protein synthesis but also acts as an anabolic agent to regulate protein synthesis. Leucine stimulates protein synthesis in a number of tissues but its effectiveness in promoting protein synthesis is greatest in skeletal muscle and less pronounced in cardiac muscle. The molecular mechanism by which leucine regulates protein synthesis has been generated primarily from in vitro studies under strictly controlled conditions in different cell types, but more recent in vivo studies are revealing signaling components involved in the leucine-induced stimulation of protein synthesis under physiological conditions. Although solid evidence has demonstrated that leucine stimulates protein synthesis by activating mechanistic target of rapamycin complex 1 (mTORC1), the precise mechanism by which leucine regulates mTORC1 is still not clear. Moreover, whether leucine’s effectiveness in stimulating protein synthesis can be sustained in the long-term to promote lean growth has not been determined and merits investigation.

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Acknowledgments and Disclosure

Dr. Davis is a recipient of research support from the National Institutes of Health (NIH, R01 AR44474 and HD072891), US Department of Agriculture National Institute of Food and Agriculture (USDA NIFA 2013-67015-20438), USDA/Agricultural Research Service (ARS, 6250-51000-055), and Abbott Nutrition. This work is a publication of the USDA/ARS Children’s Nutrition Research Center, Department of Pediatrics, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, Texas. The contents of this publication do not necessarily reflect the views or policies of the USDA.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. USDA/ARS Children’s Nutrition Research Center, Baylor College of Medicine, 1100 Bates Street, Houston, TX, 77030, USA

    Agus Suryawan Ph.D. & Teresa A. Davis Ph.D.

Authors
  1. Agus Suryawan Ph.D.
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  2. Teresa A. Davis Ph.D.
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Correspondence to Teresa A. Davis Ph.D. .

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Editors and Affiliations

  1. Intensive Care, Barnet and Chase Farm Hospitals, Royal Free London NHS Foundation Trust, London, United Kingdom

    Rajkumar Rajendram

  2. Diabetes and Nutritional Sciences, Kings College London, London, United Kingdom

    Victor R. Preedy

  3. Department of Biomedical Sciences, University of Westminster, London, United Kingdom

    Vinood B. Patel

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Suryawan, A., Davis, T.A. (2015). Enteral Leucine and Protein Synthesis in Skeletal and Cardiac Muscle. In: Rajendram, R., Preedy, V., Patel, V. (eds) Branched Chain Amino Acids in Clinical Nutrition. Nutrition and Health. Humana Press, New York, NY. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4939-1923-9_16

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4939-1923-9_16

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  • Publisher Name: Humana Press, New York, NY

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