Abstract
L-arginine supplementation has been related to increased maximum strength and improvement of hemodynamic parameters in several diseases. The aim of our study was to evaluate the effect of L-arginine supplementation and resistance training on muscle mass, hemodynamic function and DNA damage in healthy rats subjected to a low-arginine concentration diet. Twenty three Wistar rats (290-320g) were divided into 4 groups: Sedentary (SED-Arg, n = 6), Sedentary+Arg (SED+Arg, n = 6), Resistance Training (RT-Arg, n = 5), Resistance Training+Arg (RT+Arg, n = 6). Trained animals performed resistance training protocol in a squat apparatus adapted for rats (4 sets of 10–12 repetitions, 90s of interval, 4x/week, 65–75% of One Maximum Repetition, for 8 weeks). Comet assay was performed to measure DNA damage in leukocytes. The resistance training induced higher muscle mass in trained groups. The L-arginine supplementation increased both gastrocnemius and left ventricle to body mass ratio and increased left ventricle contractility without changing hemodynamic variables. The SED+Arg group showed higher concentration of extracellular heat shock protein 72 (eHSP72) and total testosterone, as well as lower uric acid concentration in blood versus SED-Arg group. The administration of isolated L-arginine supplementation and its association with resistance training promoted less damage in leukocytes DNA. In conclusion, the L-arginine supplementation showed synergistic effect with resistance training regarding leukocyte genomic stability in a low-L-arginine diet scenario.
Highlights
L-arginine, a semi-essential amino acid, is well known as a precursor for bioactive substance syntheses, such as nitric oxide (NO), growth hormone and creatine [1]
The treatment groups were as follows: sedentary animals that received a low-L-arginine diet (Sed-Arg group, n = 6); sedentary animals that received L-arginine supplementation (Sed+Arg group, n = 6); animals subjected to resistance training that received low-L-arginine diet (RT-Arg group, n = 5) and animals subjected to resistance training that received L-arginine supplementation (RT+Arg group, n = 6)
We found no difference among groups in the following hemodynamic parameters: Diastolic, systolic and mean blood pressure, left ventricular systolic pressure and heart rate (P>0.05) (Table 2)
Summary
L-arginine, a semi-essential amino acid, is well known as a precursor for bioactive substance syntheses, such as nitric oxide (NO), growth hormone and creatine [1]. Across different species, including rodents, pigs and humans, diets with low concentrations of L-arginine lead to decreased circulating levels of this amino acid [2,3,4]. DNA damage plays an important role in mutagenesis, carcinogenesis and aging; the accumulation of DNA lesions by ROS has been demonstrated to be a significant risk factor for the development of cardiovascular diseases and cancer [7]. These lesions alter immune function by impairing of cell proliferation and phagocytosis activity [8,9]
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