Is muscle protein turnover regulated by intracellular glutamine during sepsis?

Low muscle glutamine levels during sepsis are associated with reduced protein synthesis and elevated protein breakdown, in particular myofibrillar protein breakdown. It is not known if this is a causal or coincidental relationship. We tested the hypothesis that muscle protein turnover rates are directly regulated by glutamine.

Paired extensor digitorum longus muscles from nonseptic (sham-operated) and septic rats (16 hours after cecal ligation and puncture) were incubated in the absence or presence of 15 mmol glutamine/L. The effect of glutamine was tested in unsupplemented medium or in medium containing 1 mU/mL of insulin or a mixture of amino acids at normal plasma concentrations. Protein synthesis was measured as incorporation of 14C-phenylalanine into protein; total and myofibrillar protein breakdown was determined by measuring tyrosine and 3-methylhistidine, respectively.

Muscles accumulated intracellular glutamine well above normal concentrations in the presence of 15 mmol glutamine/L. In spite of this, protein synthesis was not affected by glutamine, neither when muscles were incubated in unsupplemented medium nor in medium containing insulin or amino acid mixture. Total protein breakdown was not influenced by glutamine when muscles were incubated in unsupplemented medium or with insulin but was reduced by glutamine in the presence of an amino acid mixture. Myofibrillar protein breakdown was unaffected by glutamine in unsupplemented medium and in medium containing insulin but was increased by glutamine in the presence of amino acid mixture.

Reduced muscle protein synthesis and increased myofibrillar protein breakdown during sepsis are probably not caused by the low intracellular glutamine levels noticed in this condition.