Abstract
The targeting of nutraceutical treatment to skeletal muscle damage is an emerging area of research, driven by the need for new therapies for a range of muscle-associated diseases. L-Carnitine (CARN) is an essential nutrient and plays a key role in mitochondrial β-oxidation and in the ubiquitin-proteasome system regulation. As a dietary supplement to improve athletic performance, CARN has been studied for its potential to enhance β-oxidation. However, CARN effects on myogenesis, mitochondrial activity, and hypertrophy process are not completely elucidated. This in vitro study aims to investigate CARN role on skeletal muscle remodeling, differentiation process, and myotubes formation. We analyzed muscle differentiation and morphological features in C2C12 myoblasts exposed to 5 mM CARN. Our results showed that CARN was able to accelerate C2C12 myotubes formation and induce morphological changes, characterizing the start of hypertrophy process. In addition, CARN improved AKT activation and downstream cellular signaling pathways involved in skeletal muscle atrophy process prevention. Also, CARN positively regulated the pathways involved in oxidative stress defense. In this work, we provide an interesting novel mechanism of the potential therapeutic use of CARN to treat pathological conditions characterized by skeletal muscle morphological and functional impairment, oxidative stress production, and atrophy process in aging.
Highlights
The role of many nutrients in maintaining good health and prolonging human lifespan has been clearly demonstrated over the past three decades
We initially sought to determine the effect of exogenous CARN supplementation on myoblasts cell proliferation (Figure 2)
Cells were cultured in three different media for three days: growth medium (GM), GM supplemented with 5 mM CARN, and differentiation medium (DM)
Summary
The role of many nutrients in maintaining good health and prolonging human lifespan has been clearly demonstrated over the past three decades. Plant food stuffs, animal foods, and lipids have been shown to have protective effects against several chronic pathologies such as age-related diseases, including cardiovascular [1], neurodegenerative [2], and inflammatory diseases [3], diabetes [4], and myopathies [5]. In these pathologies, the skeletal muscle is the critical target. The deterioration of skeletal muscle structure and function leads to clinically relevant complaints, including progressive strength loss, fatigue, myalgia, and cramps. The treatment of muscle diseases is mainly symptom-oriented and includes physical therapy and exercise, but no specific pharmacologic interventions are currently available [5, 6]
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