Abstract
A new role for fat supplements, in particular conjugated linoleic acid (CLA), has been delineated in steroidogenesis, although the underlying molecular mechanisms have not yet been elucidated. The aims of the present study were to identify the pathway stimulated by CLA supplementation using a cell culture model and to determine whether this same pathway is also stimulated in vivo by CLA supplementation associated with exercise. In vitro, Leydig tumour rat cells (R2C) supplemented with different concentrations of CLA exhibited increasing testosterone biosynthesis accompanied by increasing levels of CYP17A1 mRNA and protein. In vivo, trained mice showed an increase in free plasma testosterone and an up-regulation of CYP17A1 mRNA and protein. The effect of training on CYP17A1 expression and testosterone biosynthesis was significantly higher in the trained mice supplemented with CLA compared to the placebo. The results of the present study demonstrated that CLA stimulates testosterone biosynthesis via CYP17A1, and endurance training led to the synthesis of testosterone in vivo by inducing the overexpression of CYP17A1 mRNA and protein in the Leydig cells of the testis. This effect was enhanced by CLA supplementation. Therefore, CLA-associated physical activity may be used for its steroidogenic property in different fields, such as alimentary industry, human reproductive medicine, sport science, and anti-muscle wasting.
Highlights
Fat supplements are nutritional ergogenic aids used by elite and recreational athletes; many sport magazines advise that their intake can improve endurance capacity, increase VO2max, reduce fat body mass, increase lean body mass, reduce muscle glycogen breakdown, improve metabolism, and prevent or reduce muscle damage and inflammatory responses [1]
No differences in perilipin A/C and hormone-sensitive lipase (HSL) expression were observed in the immunofluorescence experiments on R2C cells treated with different conjugated linoleic acid (CLA) concentrations compared to the control (Figure 1D and E)
Western blotting analysis did not reveal any differences in the amount of perilipin A/C and HSL proteins in R2C cells treated with different concentrations of CLA compared to the untreated cells
Summary
Fat supplements are nutritional ergogenic aids used by elite and recreational athletes; many sport magazines advise that their intake can improve endurance capacity, increase VO2max, reduce fat body mass, increase lean body mass, reduce muscle glycogen breakdown, improve metabolism, and prevent or reduce muscle damage and inflammatory responses [1]. These supplements include long-chain triacylglycerols, medium-chain triacylglycerols, fish oil, and conjugated linoleic acid (CLA) [2]. High levels of testosterone may improve endurance performance by increasing haemoglobin concentrations and haematocrit [9] as well as by increasing lactate transport through the enhancement of monocarboxylate transporter 1 and 4 in skeletal muscle [10]
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