On-target IgG hexamerisation driven by a C-terminal IgM tail-piece fusion variant confers augmented complement activation

The majority of depleting monoclonal antibody (mAb) drugs elicit responses via Fc-FcγR and Fc-C1q interactions. Optimal C1q interaction is achieved through hexameric Fc:Fc interactions at the target cell surface. Herein is described an approach to exploit the tailpiece of the naturally multimeric IgM to augment hexamerisation of IgG. Fusion of the C-terminal tailpiece of IgM promoted spontaneous hIgG hexamer formation, resulting in enhanced C1q recruitment and complement-dependent cytotoxicity (CDC) but with off-target complement activation and reduced in-vivo efficacy. Mutation of the penultimate tailpiece cysteine to serine (C575S) ablated spontaneous hexamer formation, but facilitated reversible hexamer formation after concentration in solution. C575S mutant tailpiece antibodies displayed increased complement activity only after target binding, in-line with the concept of 'on-target hexamerisation', whilst retaining efficient in-vivo efficacy and augmented target cell killing in the lymph node. Hence, C575S-tailpiece technology represents an alternative format for promoting on-target hexamerisation and enhanced CDC.

Bispecific antibody target pair discovery by high-throughput phenotypic screening using in vitro combinatorial Fab libraries

Bispecific antibodies can uniquely influence cellular responses, but selecting target combinations for optimal functional activity remains challenging. Here we describe a high-throughput, combinatorial, phenotypic screening approach using a new bispecific antibody target discovery format, allowing screening of hundreds of target combinations. Simple in vitro mixing of Fab-fusion proteins from a diverse library enables the generation of thousands of screen-ready bispecific antibodies for high-throughput, biologically relevant assays. We identified an obligate bispecific co-targeting CD79a/b and CD22 as a potent inhibitor of human B cell activation from a short-term flow cytometry signaling assay. A long-term, high-content imaging assay identified anti-integrin bispecific inhibitors of human cell matrix accumulation targeting integrins β1 and β6 or αV and β1. In all cases, functional activity was conserved from the bispecific screening format to a therapeutically relevant format. We also introduce a broader type of mechanistic screen whereby functional modulation of different cell subsets in peripheral blood mononuclear cells was evaluated simultaneously. We identified bispecific antibodies capable of activating different T cell subsets of potential interest for applications in oncology or infectious disease, as well as bispecifics abrogating T cell activity of potential interest to autoimmune or inflammatory disease. The bispecific target pair discovery technology described herein offers access to new target biology and unique bispecific therapeutic opportunities in diverse disease indications.

Molecular Insights into the Thermal Stability of mAbs with Variable-Temperature Ion-Mobility Mass Spectrometry

The aggregation of protein-based therapeutics such as monoclonal antibodies (mAbs) can affect the efficacy of the treatment and can even induce effects that are adverse to the patient. Protein engineering is used to shift the mAb away from an aggregation-prone state by increasing the thermodynamic stability of the native fold, which might in turn alter conformational flexibility. We have probed the thermal stability of three types of intact IgG molecules and two Fc-hinge fragments by using variable-temperature ion-mobility mass spectrometry (VT-IM-MS). We observed changes in the conformations of isolated proteins as a function of temperature (300-550 K). The observed differences in thermal stability between IgG subclasses can be rationalized in terms of changes to higher-order structural organization mitigated by the hinge region. VT-IM-MS provides insights into mAbs structural thermodynamics and is presented as a promising tool for thermal-stability studies for proteins of therapeutic interest.

Avascular necrosis of the capitate: report of six cases and review of the literature

Avascular necrosis of the capitate is rare. Little is known about the aetiology, disease progression or optimal management. From 1992 to 2012 we treated six patients; four had a scaphocapitolunate arthrodesis and two had a four corner arthrodesis. The average follow up was 9 years (range 1-20). Three patients had good or excellent results, two fair and one poor, based on a visual analogue scale for pain and satisfaction and a Quick-DASH score. The Mayo wrist score was satisfactory in five cases and poor in one. Better results were seen when the arthrodesis fused. In the English, French and German literature 42 other cases were found. The aetiology, patient characteristics, clinical presentation, treatment and outcome were reviewed.

Changes in mitochondrial perilipin 3 and perilipin 5 protein content in rat skeletal muscle following endurance training and acute stimulated contraction

NEW FINDINGS

What is the central question of this study? The aim was to determine whether mitochondrial protein content of perilipin 3 (PLIN3) and perilipin 5 (PLIN5) is increased following endurance training and whether mitochondrial PLIN5 protein is increased to a greater extent in endurance-trained rats when compared with sedentary rats following acute contraction. What is the main finding and its importance? Mitochondrial PLIN3 but not PLIN5 protein was increased in endurance-trained compared with sedentary rats, suggesting a mitochondrial role for PLIN3 due to chronic exercise. Contrary to our hypothesis, acute mitochondrial PLIN5 protein was similar in both sedentary and endurance-trained rats. Endurance training results in an increased association between skeletal muscle lipid droplets and mitochondria. This association is likely to be important for the expected increase in intramuscular fatty acid oxidation that occurs with endurance training. The perilipin family of lipid droplet proteins, PLIN(2-5), are thought to play a role in skeletal muscle lipolysis. Recently, results from our laboratory demonstrated that skeletal muscle mitochondria contain PLIN3 and PLIN5 protein. Furthermore, 30 min of stimulated contraction induces an increased mitochondrial PLIN5 content. To determine whether mitochondrial content of PLIN3 and PLIN5 is altered with endurance training, Sprague-Dawley rats were randomized into sedentary or endurance-trained groups for 8 weeks of treadmill running followed by an acute (30 min) sciatic nerve stimulation to induce lipolysis. Mitochondrial PLIN3 protein was ∼1.5-fold higher in red gastrocnemius of endurance-trained rats compared with sedentary animals, with no change in mitochondrial PLIN5 protein. In addition, there was an increase in plantaris intramuscular lipid storage. Acute electrically stimulated contraction in red gastrocnemius from sedentary and endurance-trained rats resulted in a similar increase of mitochondrial PLIN5 between these two groups, with no net change in PLIN3 in either group. Plantaris intramuscular lipid content decreased to a similar extent in sedentary and endurance-trained rats. These results suggest that while total mitochondrial PLIN5 content is not altered by endurance training, PLIN5 does have an acute role in the mitochondrial fraction during muscle contraction. Conversely, mitochondrial PLIN3 does not change acutely with muscle contraction, but PLIN3 content was increased following endurance training, indicating a role in chronic adaptations of skeletal muscle.

Effect of high-fat and high-carbohydrate diets on pulmonary O2 uptake kinetics during the transition to moderate-intensity exercise

Mitochondrial pyruvate dehydrogenase (PDH) regulates the delivery of carbohydrate-derived substrate to the mitochondrial tricarboxylic acid cycle and electron transport chain. PDH activity at rest and its activation during exercise is attenuated following high-fat (HFAT) compared with high-carbohydrate (HCHO) diets. Given the reliance on carbohydrate-derived substrate early in transitions to exercise, this study examined the effects of HFAT and HCHO on phase II pulmonary O2 uptake (V̇o2 p) kinetics during transitions into the moderate-intensity (MOD) exercise domain. Eight active adult men underwent dietary manipulations consisting of 6 days of HFAT (73% fat, 22% protein, 5% carbohydrate) followed immediately by 6 days of HCHO (10% fat, 10% protein, 80% carbohydrate); each dietary phase was preceded by a glycogen depletion protocol. Participants performed three MOD transitions from a 20 W cycling baseline to work rate equivalent to 80% of estimated lactate threshold on days 5 and 6 of each diet. Steady-state V̇o2 p was greater (P < 0.05), and respiratory exchange ratio and carbohydrate oxidation rates were lower (P < 0.05) during HFAT. The phase II V̇o2 p time constant (τV̇o2 p) [HFAT 40 ± 16, HCHO 32 ± 19 s (mean ± SD)] and V̇o2 p gain (HFAT 10.3 ± 0.8, HCHO 9.4 ± 0.7 ml·min(-1·)W(-1)) were greater (P < 0.05) in HFAT. The overall adjustment (effective time constant) of muscle deoxygenation (Δ[HHb]) was not different between diets (HFAT 24 ± 4 s, HCHO 23 ± 4 s), which coupled with a slower τV̇o2 p, indicates a slowed microvascular blood flow response. These results suggest that the slower V̇o2 p kinetics associated with HFAT are consistent with inhibition and slower activation of PDH, a lower rate of pyruvate production, and/or attenuated microvascular blood flow and O2 delivery.

Engineering an improved IgG4 molecule with reduced disulfide bond heterogeneity and increased Fab domain thermal stability

The integrity of antibody structure, stability, and biophysical characterization are becoming increasingly important as antibodies receive increasing scrutiny from regulatory authorities. We altered the disulfide bond arrangement of an IgG4 molecule by mutation of the Cys at the N terminus of the heavy chain constant domain 1 (C(H)1) (Kabat position 127) to a Ser and introduction of a Cys at a variety of positions (positions 227-230) at the C terminus of C(H)1. An inter-LC-C(H)1 disulfide bond is thus formed, which mimics the disulfide bond arrangement found in an IgG1 molecule. The antibody species present in the supernatant following transient expression in Chinese hamster ovary cells were analyzed by immunoblot to investigate product homogeneity, and purified product was analyzed by a thermofluor assay to determine thermal stability. We show that the light chain can form an inter-LC-C(H)1 disulfide bond with a Cys when present at several positions on the upper hinge (positions 227-230) and that such engineered disulfide bonds can consequently increase the Fab domain thermal stability between 3 and 6.8 °C. The IgG4 disulfide mutants displaying the greatest increase in Fab thermal stability were also the most homogeneous in terms of disulfide bond arrangement and antibody species present. Importantly, mutations did not affect the affinity for antigen of the resultant molecules. In combination with the previously described S241P mutation, we present an IgG4 molecule with increased Fab thermal stability and reduced product heterogeneity that potentially offers advantages for the production of IgG4 molecules.

Prior heavy exercise elevates pyruvate dehydrogenase activity and speeds O2 uptake kinetics during subsequent moderate-intensity exercise in healthy young adults

The adaptation of pulmonary oxygen uptake (.VO2) during the transition to moderate-intensity exercise (Mod) is faster following a prior bout of heavy-intensity exercise. In the present study we examined the activation of pyruvate dehydrogenase (PDHa) during Mod both with and without prior heavy-intensity exercise. Subjects (n = 9) performed a Mod(1)-heavy-intensity-Mod(2) exercise protocol preceded by 20 W baseline. Breath-by-breath .VO2 kinetics and near-infrared spectroscopy-derived muscle oxygenation were measured continuously, and muscle biopsy samples were taken at specific times during the transition to Mod. In Mod(1), PDHa increased from baseline (1.08 +/- 0.2 mmol min(-1) (kg wet wt)(-1)) to 30 s (2.05 +/- 0.2 mmol min(-1) (kg wet wt)(-1)), with no additional change at 6 min exercise (2.07 +/- 0.3 mmol min(-1) (kg wet wt)(-1)). In Mod(2), PDHa was already elevated at baseline (1.88 +/- 0.3 mmol min(-1) (kg wet wt)(-1)) and was greater than in Mod(1), and did not change at 30 s (1.96 +/- 0.2 mmol min(-1) (kg wet wt)(-1)) but increased at 6 min exercise (2.70 +/- 0.3 mmol min(-1) (kg wet wt)(-1)). The time constant of .VO2 was lower in Mod(2) (19 +/- 2 s) than Mod(1) (24 +/- 3 s). Phosphocreatine (PCr) breakdown from baseline to 30 s was greater (P < 0.05) in Mod(1) (13.6 +/- 6.7 mmol (kg dry wt)(-1)) than Mod(2) (6.5 +/- 6.2 mmol (kg dry wt)(-1)) but total PCr breakdown was similar between conditions (Mod(1), 14.8 +/- 7.4 mmol (kg dry wt)(-1); Mod(2), 20.1 +/- 8.0 mmol (kg dry wt)(-1)). Both oxyhaemoglobin and total haemoglobin were elevated prior to and throughout Mod(2) compared with Mod(1). In conclusion, the greater PDHa at baseline prior to Mod(2) compared with Mod(1) may have contributed in part to the faster .VO2 kinetics in Mod(2). That oxyhaemoglobin and total haemoglobin were elevated prior to Mod(2) suggests that greater muscle perfusion may also have contributed to the observed faster .VO2 kinetics. These findings are consistent with metabolic inertia, via delayed activation of PDH, in part limiting the adaptation of pulmonary .VO2 and muscle O2 consumption during the normal transition to exercise.

Regulation of PDH activity and isoform expression: diet and exercise

During exercise in human skeletal muscle, the proportion of carbohydrate derived acetyl-CoA is determined at least in part by the activity of the PDH (pyruvate dehydrogenase) complex. Inhibition of the complex is achieved through reversible phosphorylation of the E1 subunit by a family of PDH kinase isoforms (PDK1-4) while dephosphorylation and activation of the complex is catalysed by a pair of intrinsic PDH phosphatases (PDP1 and 2). In general, the relative activity of the kinases and phosphatases is determined by a host of intramitochondrial effectors which signal energy charge, substrate and product accumulation, muscle contraction and nutritional status. This review focuses on advances in our understanding in human skeletal muscle of the regulatory signals and changes in gene expression which are important during acute exercise and exercise training, as well as in prolonged situations of altered nutritional status.

Human skeletal muscle PDH kinase activity and isoform expression during a 3-day high-fat/low-carbohydrate diet

The increase in skeletal muscle pyruvate dehydrogenase kinase (PDK) activity was measured in skeletal muscle of six healthy males after a eucaloric high-fat/low-carbohydrate (HF/LC; 5% carbohydrate, 73% fat, and 22% protein of total energy intake) diet compared with a standardized prediet (50% carbohdyrate, 30% fat, and 21% protein). Biopsies were obtained from the vastus lateralis muscle after 3 days on the prediet (day 0) and after 1, 2, and 3 days of the HF/LC diet. Intact mitchondria were extracted from fresh muscle and analyzed for PDK activity and Western blotting of PDK2 and PDK4 protein. A second biopsy was taken at each time point and frozen for Northern blot analysis of PDK2 and PDK4 mRNAs. PDK activity increased in a linear fashion over the 3-day HF/LC diet and was significantly higher than control by 1 day. PDK activity was 0.09 +/- 0.03, 0.18 +/- 0.05, 0.30 +/- 0.07, and 0.37 +/- 0.09 min(-1) at 0, 1, 2, and 3 days, respectively. PDK4 protein and mRNA increased maximally by day 1, and PDK2 protein and mRNA were unaffected by the HF/LC diet. Resting respiratory exchange ratios decreased after 1 day of the HF/LC diet (from 0.79 +/- 0.02 to 0.72 +/- 0.02) and remained depressed throughout the 3-day dietary intervention (0.68 +/- 0.01). The immediate shift to fat utilization was accompanied by increased blood glycerol, beta-hydroxybutyrate, and plasma free fatty acid concentrations. These results suggest that the continuing increase in PDK activity over the 3-day HF/LC diet is not due to increasing PDK protein beyond 1 day. This could be due to the contribution of another isoform to the total PDK activity or to a continual increase in PDK4 or PDK2 specific activity.

Muscle fiber type comparison of PDH kinase activity and isoform expression in fed and fasted rats

Fiber type specificity for expression of all three rat skeletal muscle pyruvate dehydrogenase kinase (PDK) isoforms (PDK1, 2, and 4) was determined in fed and 24-h fasted rats. PDK activity and isoform protein and mRNA contents were determined in white gastrocnemius (WG; fast-twitch glycolytic), red gastrocnemius (RG; fast-twitch oxidative), and soleus (Sol; slow-twitch oxidative) muscles. PDK activity was lower in WG compared with oxidative muscles (RG, Sol) in both fed and fasted rats. PDK activities from fed muscles were 0.12 +/- 0.04, 0.30 +/- 0.01, and 0.36 +/- 0.08 min(-1) in WG, Sol, and RG, respectively, and increased in fasted muscles (0.36 +/- 0.09, 0.68 +/- 0.18, and 0.80 +/- 0.14 min(-1)). This correlated with increased PDK4 protein and to a lesser extent with PDK4 mRNA. PDK2 protein was not different between fiber types in fed or fasted rats, but PDK2 mRNA content was twofold greater in RG from fasted rats compared with fed rats. PDK1 was unaltered by fasting in all muscle types at both the protein and mRNA level, but in both fed and fasted rats had much greater protein and mRNA content in the oxidative vs. glycolytic muscles. In conclusion, PDK activity and PDK1 and 4 protein and mRNA were lower in glycolytic vs. oxidative muscles from fed and fasted rats. Fasting for 24 h induced a two- to threefold increase in PDK activity that was mainly due to increases in PDK4 protein and mRNA. PDK1 and 2 protein and mRNA were generally unaltered by fasting in all fiber types, except for increased PDK2 mRNA in the fast oxidative fibers. Because the PDK isoforms vary greatly in their kinetic properties, their relative proportions in the three fiber types at any given time during fasting could significantly alter the acute regulation of the pyruvate dehydrogenase complex.

Human skeletal muscle pyruvate dehydrogenase kinase activity increases after a low-carbohydrate diet

To characterize human skeletal muscle enzymatic adaptation to a low-carbohydrate, high-fat, and high-protein diet (LCD), subjects consumed a eucaloric diet consisting of 5% of the total energy intake from carbohydrate, 63% from fat, and 33% from protein for 6 days compared with their normal diet (52% carbohydrate, 33% fat, and 14% protein). Biopsies were taken from the vastus lateralis before and after 3 and 6 days on a LCD. Intact mitochondria were extracted from fresh muscle and analyzed for pyruvate dehydrogenase (PDH) kinase, total PDH, and carnitine palmitoyltransferase I activities and mitochondrial ATP production rate (using carbohydrate and fat substrates). beta-Hydroxyacyl CoA dehydrogenase, active PDH (PDHa), and citrate synthase activities were also measured on whole muscle homogenates. PDH kinase (PDHK) was calculated as the absolute value of the apparent first-order rate constant of the inactivation of PDH in the presence of 0.3 mM Mg2+-ATP. PDHK increased dramatically from 0.10 +/- 0.02 min-1 to 0.35 +/- 0.09 min-1 at 3 days and 0.49 +/- 0. 06 min-1 after 6 days. Resting PDHa activity decreased from 0.63 +/- 0.17 to 0.17 +/- 0.04 mmol. min-1. kg-1 after 6 days on the diet, whereas total PDH activity did not change. Activities for all other enzymes were unaltered by the LCD. In summary, severe deficiency of dietary carbohydrate combined with a twofold increase in dietary fat and protein caused a rapid three- to fivefold increase in PDHK activity in human skeletal muscle. The increased PDHK activity downregulated the amount of PDH in its active form at rest and decreased carbohydrate metabolism. However, an increase in the activities of enzymes involved in fatty acid oxidation did not occur.

Effects of epinephrine on lipid metabolism in resting skeletal muscle

The effects of physiological (0, 0.1, 2.5, and 10 nM) and pharmacological (200 nM) epinephrine concentrations on resting skeletal muscle lipid metabolism were investigated with the use of incubated rat epitrochlearis (EPT), flexor digitorum brevis (FDB), and soleus (SOL) muscles. Muscles were chosen to reflect a range of oxidative capacities: SOL > EPT > FDB. The muscles were pulsed with [1-14C]palmitate and chased with [9,10-3H]palmitate. Incorporation and loss of the labeled palmitate from the triacylglycerol pool (as well as mono- and diacylglycerol, phospholipid, and fatty acid pools) permitted the simultaneous estimation of lipid hydrolysis and synthesis. Endogenous and exogenous fat oxidation was quantified by 14CO2 and 3H2O production, respectively. Triacylglycerol breakdown was elevated above control at all epinephrine concentrations in the oxidative SOL muscle, at 2.5 and 200 nM (at 10 nM, P = 0.066) in the FDB, and only at 200 nM epinephrine in the EPT. Epinephrine stimulated glycogen breakdown in the EPT at all concentrations but only at 10 and 200 nM in the FDB and had no effect in the SOL. We further characterized muscle lipid hydrolysis potential and measured total hormone-sensitive lipase content by Western blotting (SOL > FDB > EPT). This study demonstrated that physiological levels of epinephrine cause measurable increases in triacylglycerol hydrolysis at rest in oxidative but not in glycolytic muscle, with no change in the rate of lipid synthesis or oxidation. Furthermore, epinephrine caused differential stimulation of carbohydrate and fat metabolism in glycolytic vs. oxidative muscle. Epinephrine preferentially stimulated glycogen breakdown over triacylglycerol hydrolysis in the glycolytic EPT muscle. Conversely, in the oxidative SOL muscle, epinephrine caused an increase in endogenous lipid hydrolysis over glycogen breakdown.

Influence of diet on the metabolic responses to exercise

The relationship between dietary intake and skeletal-muscle exercise metabolism is central to the interests of exercise physiologists. This area has been examined experimentally for over 100 years. Classic studies with male subjects demonstrated the importance of dietary CHO in maximizing muscle and liver glycogen stores in an attempt to optimize exercise performance. CHO becomes the predominant fuel for exercise at power outputs above 50-60% Vo2max and its availability limits prolonged aerobic exercise at intensities corresponding to 65-85% VO2max. Recent information suggests that female subjects are less able to maximize muscle glycogen stores through dietary means. Contemporary studies have documented in more detail the greater reliance on CHO metabolism following a high-CHO-low-fat and -protein diet and the greater reliance on fat metabolism following a low-CHO-high-fat and protein diet. More emphasis on documenting key enzymic changes in the energy-producing pathways and transport proteins has appeared. However, very little is known regarding the mechanisms that induce these changes over the short or long term in human skeletal muscle. For example, the central role of PDH activity in the selection of intramuscular fuel during exercise and the role of carnitine palmitoyltransferase 1 in the entry of NEFA into the mitochondria, and the effects of diet on these enzymes has received little attention to date. Many research studies have examined extreme diet variations (% total energy; > 85% CHO v. < 5-10% CHO) for short periods of time in an attempt to maximize diet-induced alterations and study the mechanisms responsible for the changes. However, future studies will need to examine less-severe diet alterations for longer periods of time that more accurately reflect what the normal population might experience, such as a diet containing (% total energy) 60 fat, 20 CHO, 20 protein or the recently popular diet with (% total energy) 30 fat, 40 CHO, 30 protein.

Functional differences in lipid metabolism in resting skeletal muscle of various fiber types

Intramuscular lipid pool turnover [triacylglycerols (TG), phospholipids (PL), mono- and diacylglycerols (MG, DG)] and the oxidation of endogenous and exogenous lipids were determined with pulse-chase studies in incubated muscles of varied oxidative potential [soleus strips (SOL)--> epitrochlearis --> flexor digitorum brevis]. Incorporation of palmitate into TG and PL pools and its oxidation were linearly related to time and exogenous palmitate concentration in all muscles. Total palmitate incorporation (deposition and oxidation) was greatest in SOL. However, palmitate incorporation into TG was similar in all muscles when expressed as a percentage of the total incorporation. In contrast, palmitate incorporation into PL was greatest in the least oxidative muscle. Palmitate oxidation, incorporation into TG, and citrate synthase activity were all strongly correlated with muscle cytosolic fatty acid-binding protein content (r = 0.96, 1.0, and 0.98, respectively). During the chase, reducing exogenous palmitate from 1.0 mM to 0.5 or 0 mM resulted in a significant (approximately 30%) loss of [(14)C]palmitate from the TG pool in SOL and a significant increase in (14)CO(2) production from endogenous stores. No significant loss of (14)C label from lipid pools occurred in the less oxidative muscles, suggesting a closely regulated interaction between energy provision from exogenous and endogenous lipid pools in oxidative muscle. Glucose oxidation increased significantly in all muscles in the absence of palmitate. The loss of (14)C label from TG in SOL during the chase without palmitate was not accompanied by a significant change in TG content. This suggests that, during rest, there is a small subpool of TG with a relatively rapid turnover.

Variability of triacylglycerol content in human skeletal muscle biopsy samples

The variability of the triacylglycerol store in human skeletal muscle (TGm) was examined using the needle biopsy technique. In 13 subjects, three biopsies were sampled from the vastus lateralis muscle of one leg at rest and after 90 min of cycling at 65% of maximal O2 uptake on one or two occasions. Visible fat and blood were removed before the samples were frozen, and remaining blood, connective tissue, and fat were removed from freeze-dried fiber bundles. TGm content was measured in two aliquots of powdered muscle from each biopsy. Within-biopsy variability was low at 6%. Despite precautions, many biopsies from inactive subjects were contaminated with adipose tissue. The TGm between-biopsy coefficient of variation (CV) was 23.5 +/- 14.6% (SD, n = 24) for rest and exercise time points where three noncontaminated biopsies existed. The between-biopsy variability at rest (19.8 +/- 7.9%, n = 10) was not significantly different from that at exercise (26.1 +/- 17.4%, n = 14). The muscle glycogen between-biopsy CV for rest and exercise time points was 10.0 +/- 10.3%. The resting TGm content was 26.3 +/- 4.3 mmol/kg dry muscle, and the net utilization during the 90 min of exercise was less than the between-biopsy variability. It is concluded that the TGm store measured in repeated biopsies of human skeletal muscle is variable, with a CV of 20-26%. Therefore, because of this high variability, only changes greater than approximately 24% of resting TGm content may be considered meaningful.

Epinephrine infusion does not enhance net muscle glycogenolysis during prolonged aerobic exercise

The role of physiological elevations of plasma epinephrine concentration on muscle glycogenolysis during prolonged exercise was investigated. Eight healthy volunteers cycled for 90 min at 65%. VO2max on two occasions; one with an infusion of epinephrine (EPI) and once without (control). Biopsy samples were taken from the vastus lateralis muscle both prior to and following exercise for the analysis of muscle glycogen. EPI infusion significantly elevated venous plasma EPI approximately 2.5-fold over control values throughout exercise (90 min: 5.78 +/- 0.95 vs. 2.35 +/- 0.49 nM). EPI infusion did not significantly alter net glycogenolysis as compared to control (310.0 +/- 30.8 vs. 229.5 +/- 41.1 mmol glucosyl units/kg dry mass). Venous concentrations of plasma FFA and whole blood glycerol were unaffected by EPI infusion. Whole blood glucose was significantly elevated during EPI infusion at 10, 30, 60 and 90 min of exercise compared to control values. Whole blood lactate was elevated to a greater extent during EPI infusion as compared to control at 10, 30, and 60 min of exercise. In conclusion, EPI infusion had no effect on muscle glycogenolysis and appeared to have little effect on adipose tissue lipolysis. The explanation for the elevation of blood lactate is unknown while the elevation in blood glucose suggests that EPI infusion potentiated liver glycogenolysis.

Effect of high FFA on glycogenolysis in oxidative rat hindlimb muscles during twitch stimulation

The effect of elevated free fatty acids (FFA) on carbohydrate (CHO) utilization in the oxidative muscles of the isolated hindlimb was determined using twitch contraction paradigms evoking a wide range of O2 uptakes and glycogenolysis. The hindlimb was perfused with either 0 or 1.8 mM FFA for 10 min at rest and then subjected to 20 min of stimulation at 0.4, 0.7, 1, 2, 3, or 4 Hz. Soleus (Sol), plantaris (Pl), and red gastrocnemius (RG) were sampled after rest perfusion or stimulation. FFA had little effect on glycogenolysis during stimulation, although glycogen sparing occurred with one of the lesser intensity protocols in each muscle (Sol, 0.4 Hz; RG, 0.7 Hz; Pl, 1 Hz). Muscle citrate and acetyl-CoA were elevated in Sol during several stimulation protocols with high FFA, but this effect was inconsistent in Pl and RG. The sparing of glycogen, when it did occur, was generally unrelated to increases in either citrate or acetyl-CoA content. Furthermore, protocols in which citrate or acetyl-CoA were elevated in the presence of elevated FFA did not demonstrate glycogen sparing. Hindlimb lactate efflux at rest was reduced with FFA but unaffected during stimulation. Glucose uptake was unaffected by FFA at rest and during stimulation protocols, except 3 Hz. The present study does not support the classically proposed roles of citrate and acetyl-CoA in the FFA-induced downregulation of CHO utilization in electrically stimulated rat skeletal muscle.

Regulation of muscle glycogen phosphorylase activity during intense aerobic cycling with elevated FFA

This study examined muscle glycogenolysis and the regulation of glycogen phosphorylase (Phos) activity during 15 min of cycling at 85% of maximal O2 consumption (VO2max) in control and high free fatty acid (FFA; Intralipid-heparin) conditions in 11 subjects. Muscle biopsies were sampled at rest and 1, 5, and 15 min of exercise, and glycogen Phos transformation state (%Phos alpha), substrate (Pi, glycogen), and allosteric regulator (ADP, AMP, IMP) contents were measured. Infusion of intralipid elevated plasma FFA from 0.32 +/- 0.04 mM at rest to 1.00 +/- 0.04 mM just before exercise and 1.12 +/- 0.10 mM at 14 min of exercise. In the control trial, plasma FFA were 0.36 +/- 0.04 mM at rest and unchanged at the end of exercise (0.34 +/- 0.03 mM). Seven subjects used less muscle glycogen (46.7 +/- 7.6%, mean +/- SE) during the Intralipid trial, and four did not respond. In subjects who spared glycogen, glycogen Phos transformation into the active (alpha) form was unaffected by high FFA except for a nonsignificant reduction during the initial 5 min of exercise. Total AMP and IMP contents were not significantly different during exercise between trials, but total ADP was significantly lower with Intralipid only at 15 min. The calculated free ADP, AMP, and Pi contents were lower with Intralipid but not significantly different. However, when the present results were pooled with the data from a previous study using the same protocol [Dyck et al., Am. J. Physiol. 265 (Endocrinol, Metab. 28): E852-E859, 1993], the free ADP, AMP, and Pi contents of all subjects who spared glycogen (n = 13) were significantly lower at 15 min in the Intralipid trial. The findings suggest that the elevation of plasma FFA during intense cycling spares muscle glycogen by posttransformational regulation of Phos. This may be due to blunted increases in the contents of AMP, an allosteric activator of Phos alpha, and Pi, a substrate for Phos.

Skeletal muscle phosphofructokinase activity examined under physiological conditions in vitro

The in vitro activity of skeletal muscle phosphofructokinase (PFK) was determined over the full physiological range of citrate concentrations. Enzyme aggregation was enhanced with a crowding agent, as the regulatory properties of PFK are altered with dilution. Cuvette conditions simulated concentrations of effectors and substrates during rest, moderate aerobic exercise, and intense aerobic exercise in human skeletal muscle. Citrate inhibition was not eliminated with enhanced enzyme aggregation, but activity was improved at all citrate concentrations. Maximal PFK activity with no citrate present was 0.27 +/- 0.01 mumol.min-1.mg-1 protein with resting effectors and 1.64 +/- 0.07 and 7.15 +/- 0.52 mumol.min-1.mg-1 protein with moderate aerobic and intense aerobic effector levels, respectively. Under resting conditions, PFK activity decreased to 49% of maximal when citrate was increased from 0 to 0.15 mM and only a small further inhibition to 43% occurred at 0.5 mM. Citrate was a less potent inhibitor under both exercise conditions with the sharpest decline to 72-77% of maximal activity at 0.15 mM followed by a slower decline to 65-70 and 53% activity at 0.25 and 0.5 mM citrate, respectively. The present in vitro measurements predict that alterations in citrate around concentrations normally reported in resting and exercising muscle would have little effect on flux through PFK. Therefore, the generally accepted concept that citrate is a potent inhibitor of PFK in all physiological situations has been exaggerated.

Rat skeletal muscle triacylglycerol utilization during exhaustive swimming

The utilization of triacylglycerol in slow oxidative, fast oxidative-glycolytic, and fast glycolytic skeletal muscle fiber types was examined in rats subjected to a prolonged exhaustive swim. Significant reductions of intramuscular triacylglycerol occurred following 2 h and 40 min of swimming in all muscles containing a predominance of slow oxidative and fast oxidative-glycolytic fibers, which possess a high capacity for free fatty acid oxidation. Triacylglycerol content in the soleus decreased by 48%, and reductions of 41, 29, and 27% were measured in the red vastus lateralis, red gastrocnemius, and plantaris muscles, respectively. In the white vastus lateralis and white gastrocnemius muscles (fast glycolytic fibers) triacylglycerol concentrations were unaffected. In all muscles the variability of intramuscular triacylglycerol measurements between animals was 20-50% and the within animal variance (right vs. left hindlimb) was similar. Analytical repeatability was approximately 10% in all muscles and significantly less than the between- and within-animal variances. It was concluded that a real biological variation exists in the triacylglycerol content of all rat skeletal muscles and that intramuscular triacylglycerol is an important energy source during prolonged exercise of moderate intensity.

Effects of acidosis on rat muscle metabolism and performance during heavy exercise

The metabolism and performance of a perfused rat hindquarter preparation was examined during heavy exercise in three conditions: control (C), metabolic acidosis (MA, decreased bicarbonate concentration), and respiratory acidosis (RA, increased CO2 tension). A one-pass system was used to perfuse the hindquarters for 30 min at rest and 20 min during tetanic stimulation via the sciatic nerve. The isometric tension generated by the gastrocnemius-plantaris-soleus muscle group was recorded, and biopsies were taken pre- and postperfusion. Initial isometric tensions were similar in all conditions, but the rate of tension decay was largest in acidosis; the 5-min tensions for C, MA, and RA were 1,835 +/- 63, 1,534 +/- 63, and 1,434 +/- 73 g, respectively. O2 uptake in C was greater than in MA and RA (23.4 +/- 1.3 vs. 17.0 +/- 1.4 and 16.5 +/- 2.3 mumol X min-1), paralleling the tension findings. Hindquarter lactate release was greatest in C, least in MA, and intermediate in RA. Acidosis resulted in less muscle glycogen utilization and lactate accumulation than during control. Muscle creatine phosphate utilization and ATP levels were unaffected by acidosis. Acidosis decreased the muscle's ability to generate isometric tension and depressed both aerobic and anaerobic metabolism. During stimulation in this model lactate left the muscle mainly as a function of the production rate, although a low plasma bicarbonate concentration at pH 7.15 depressed muscle lactate release.

Muscle metabolism and performance in perfused rat hindquarter during heavy exercise

An isolated perfused rat hindquarter model was used to examine muscle metabolism and performance during heavy muscular contraction. A one-pass system was used to perfuse the hindquarter for 30 min at rest and 20 min while electrically stimulated at 0.5 Hz with tetanic stimuli (100 Hz). The isometric tension generated by the gastrocnemius-plantaris-soleus muscle group was recorded continuously, and muscle biopsies were taken pre- and postperfusion. Peak tension was 2,648 +/- 55 g, decreasing to 69.3 and 51.6% of peak following 5 and 20 min of stimulation, respectively. Hindquarter O2 uptake increased from 0.56 mumol X min-1 X g perfused muscle-1 to 2.60 mumol X min-1 X g working muscle-1 after 3 min of stimulation and declined slightly thereafter. Lactate release by the hindquarter increased at the onset of stimulation, peaked at 2-4 min (23.4 +/- 1.4 mumol X min-1), and decreased to a constant amount in the final 10 min. Five minutes of stimulation produced large decreases in glycogen, creatine phosphate (CP), and ATP levels and increased lactate concentrations in all muscles sampled except the soleus. An additional 15 min of stimulation further decreased glycogen concentrations while lactate concentrations decreased in all muscles. Calculations based on the measured amounts of O2 and CP consumed and the amount of lactate produced revealed a heavy glycolytic contribution to energy production during the initial 5 min of stimulation (23%) and an aerobic domination during the final 15 min (90%). With this model heavy muscular contraction can be sustained to permit the measurement of uptake and release of substrates and products of the main energy-yielding pathways.