title: Arginine and glutamine availability and macrophage functions in the obese insulin-resistant Zucker rat.
abstract: Increased susceptibility to infections in obese patients may be related to decreased availability of arginine and glutamine, which may affect immune cell functions. Our aim was to evaluate the in vitro effects of these amino acids on the function of macrophages from obese insulin-resistant Zucker rats. Macrophages, isolated from male Zucker obese or lean rats by peritoneal lavage, were incubated in Dulbecco's modified Eagle medium (DMEM) without arginine or glutamine. Arginine or glutamine was added to the medium at increasing final concentrations (0, 0.25, 0.5, 1 or 2 mM). After stimulation by lipopolysaccharide (LPS) from E. coli (40 microg/ml), productions of tumour necrosis factor alpha (TNFalpha) and of nitric oxide (NO) were measured after 3 or 48 h incubation, respectively. NO production, lower in macrophages from obese rats, decreased in macrophages from lean rats (0 mM: 2,423 +/- 1,174 vs. 2 mM: 198 +/- 31 microM/mg protein/24 h; P < 0.05), but not in those from obese rats, when glutamine was added. TNFalpha production, lower in macrophages from obese rats, was inversely correlated with glutamine concentration. In the presence of arginine, NO production was constantly higher in macrophages from obese rats. It peaked at 0.5 mM arginine and decreased thereafter in both groups. TNFalpha production in macrophages from lean rats was unaffected by arginine, but decreased in macrophages from obese rats (0 mM: 1920 +/- 450 vs. 2 mM: 810 +/- 90 microM/mg protein/3 h; P < 0.05). These results suggest that abnormalities in cell signalling or in arginine and glutamine metabolism in macrophages of obese rats, resulting in decreased TNFalpha production and increased NO release, may contribute to increased susceptibility to infection in insulin-resistant states.
authors.affiliation: Laboratoire de Biologie de la Nutrition, Faculté des Sciences Pharmaceutiques et Biologiques, Université Paris 5-René Descartes, Paris, France.
authors.forename: Marie-Céline
authors.initials: MC
authors.lastname: Blanc
authors.forename: Christophe
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Moinard
authors.forename: Aurélie
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Béziel
authors.forename: Sylviane
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Darquy
authors.forename: Luc
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Cynober
authors.forename: Jean-Pascal
authors.initials: JP
authors.lastname: De Bandt
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001120:Arginine / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000494:pharmacology; D002478:Cells, Cultured; D004195:Disease Models, Animal; D004305:Dose-Response Relationship, Drug; D015536:Down-Regulation / Q000187:drug effects / Q000235:genetics / Q000276:immunology; D020022:Genetic Predisposition to Disease / Q000235:genetics; D005973:Glutamine / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000494:pharmacology; D007107:Immune System / Q000187:drug effects / Q000276:immunology; D007113:Immunity, Innate / Q000187:drug effects / Q000235:genetics*; D007239:Infections / Q000235:genetics / Q000276:immunology*; D007333:Insulin Resistance / Q000235:genetics / Q000502:physiology; D008070:Lipopolysaccharides; D008264:Macrophages / Q000187:drug effects / Q000378:metabolism*; D008297:Male; D009569:Nitric Oxide / Q000378:metabolism; D009765:Obesity / Q000150:complications / Q000235:genetics / Q000276:immunology*; D051381:Rats; D011924:Rats, Zucker; D015398:Signal Transduction / Q000187:drug effects / Q000235:genetics / Q000276:immunology; D014409:Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha / Q000378:metabolism
chemical_list: D008070:Lipopolysaccharides; D014409:Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha; D005973:Glutamine; D009569:Nitric Oxide; D001120:Arginine