Transport Mechanisms for the Nutritional Supplement β-Hydroxy-β-Methylbutyrate (HMB) in Mammalian Cells

β-Hydroxy-β-methylbutyrate (HMB), a nutritional supplement, elicits anabolic activity in muscle. Here we investigated the mechanism of HMB uptake in muscle cells.

Murine muscle cells (C2C12) and human mammary epithelial cells (MCF7) were used for uptake. As HMB is a monocarboxylate, focus was on monocarboxylate transporters, monitoring interaction of HMB with H⁺-coupled lactate uptake, and influence of H⁺ directly on HMB uptake. Involvement of MCT1-4 was studied using selective inhibitors and gene silencing. Involvement of human Na⁺/monocarboxylate transporter SMCT1 was also assessed using Xenopus oocytes.

H⁺-coupled lactate uptake was inhibited by HMB in both mammalian cells. HMB uptake was H⁺-coupled and inhibited by lactate. C2C12 cells expressed MCT1 and MCT4; MCF7 cells expressed MCT1-4; undifferentiated C2C12 cells expressed SMCT1. SMCT1 mediated Na⁺-coupled HMB transport. Inhibitors of MCT1/4, siRNA-mediated gene silencing, and expression pattern showed that MCT1-4 were responsible only for a small portion of HMB uptake in these cells.

HMB uptake in C2C12 and MCF7 cells is primarily H⁺-coupled and inhibited by lactate, but MCT1-4 are only partly responsible for HMB uptake. SMCT1 also transports HMB, but in a Na⁺-coupled manner. Other, yet unidentified, transporters mediate the major portion of HMB uptake in C2C12 and MCF7 cells.