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Maternal low-protein diet affects myostatin signaling and protein synthesis in skeletal muscle of offspring piglets at weaning stage

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Abstract

Purpose

We tested the hypothesis that maternal low-protein (LP) diet during gestation and lactation can program myostatin (MSTN) signaling and protein synthesis in skeletal muscle of offspring at weaning stage (35 days).

Methods

Fourteen Meishan sows were fed either LP or standard-protein diets throughout gestation and lactation, male offspring piglets were killed at weaning stage and longissimus dorsi (LD) muscles were taken. The cross-sectional areas (CSA) of LD muscles were measured by hematoxylin and eosin staining. The levels of free amino acids in plasma were measured by amino acid auto-analyzer. Proteins and mRNA were determined by Western blot and RT-qPCR, respectively.

Results

Body weight, LD muscle weight and the myofiber CSA were significantly decreased (P < 0.05) in LP piglets; meanwhile, the concentration of branched-chain amino acids was also significantly decreased (P < 0.001). MSTN protein content tended to be higher (P = 0.098) in LP piglets, while the expression of MSTN receptors, activin type II receptor-beta and transforming growth factor type-beta type I receptor kinase, was significantly up-regulated (P < 0.05). Furthermore, p38 mitogen-activated protein kinase, the downstream signaling factor of MSTN, was also enhanced significantly (P < 0.05). In addition, key factors of translation initiation, phosphorylated eukaryotic initiation factor 4E and the 70 kDa ribosomal protein S6 kinase, were significantly decreased (P < 0.05) in LP piglets.

Conclusions

Our results suggest that maternal LP diet during gestation and lactation affects MSTN signaling and protein synthesis in skeletal muscle of offspring at weaning stage.

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Acknowledgments

This work was supported by the National Basic Research Program of China (2012CB124703, 2004CB117505), the Major National Science and Technology Program (2009ZX08009-138B), the Special Fund for Agro-scientific Research in the Public Interest (201003011), and the Priority Academic Program Development of Jiangsu Higher Education Institutions.

Conflict of interest

Xiujuan Liu, Shifeng Pan, Xiao Li, Qinwei Sun, Xiaojing Yang, and Ruqian Zhao declare no conflicts of interest.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Key Laboratory of Animal Physiology and Biochemistry, Ministry of Agriculture, Nanjing Agricultural University, Nanjing, 210095, People’s Republic of China

    Xiujuan Liu, Shifeng Pan, Xiao Li, Qinwei Sun, Xiaojing Yang & Ruqian Zhao

  2. Department of Sports Health Science, Nanjing Institute of Physical Education, Nanjing, 210014, China

    Xiujuan Liu

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  1. Xiujuan Liu
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  2. Shifeng Pan
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Correspondence to Ruqian Zhao.

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Xiujuan Liu and Shifeng Pan have contributed equally to this work.

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Liu, X., Pan, S., Li, X. et al. Maternal low-protein diet affects myostatin signaling and protein synthesis in skeletal muscle of offspring piglets at weaning stage. Eur J Nutr 54, 971–979 (2015). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00394-014-0773-1

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00394-014-0773-1

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