Regulatory roles for L-arginine in reducing white adipose tissue.
As the nitrogenous precursor of nitric oxide, L-arginine regulates multiple metabolic pathways involved in the metabolism of fatty acids, glucose, amino acids, and proteins through cell signaling and gene expression.  Specifically, arginine stimulates lipolysis and the expression of key genes responsible for activation of fatty acid oxidation to CO2 and water. The underlying mechanisms involve increases in the expression of peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor-gamma coactivator-1 alpha (PGC-1 alpha), mitochondrial biogenesis, and the growth of brown adipose tissue growth. Furthermore, arginine regulates adipocyte-muscle crosstalk and energy partitioning via the secretion of cytokines and hormones. In addition, arginine enhances AMP-activated protein kinase (AMPK) expression and activity, thereby modulating lipid metabolism and energy balance toward the loss of triacylglycerols. Growing evidence shows that dietary supplementation with arginine effectively reduces white adipose tissue in Zucker diabetic fatty rats, diet-induced obese rats, growing-finishing pigs, and obese patients with type II diabetes. Thus, arginine can be used to prevent and treat adiposity and the associated metabolic syndrome.
Research Center of Healthy Breeding of Livestock and Poultry and Key Laboratory for Agro-ecological Processes in Subtropical Region, Institute of Subtropical Agriculture, the Chinese Academy of Sciences, Changsha, Hunan, China.
Bi'e
B
Tan
Xinguo
X
Li
Yulong
Y
Yin
Zhenlong
Z
Wu
Chuang
C
Liu
Carmen D
CD
Tekwe
Guoyao
G
Wu
D055372:AMP-Activated Protein Kinases / Q000378:metabolism; D050156:Adipogenesis / Q000187:drug effects / Q000502:physiology; D052436:Adipose Tissue, White / Q000033:anatomy & histology / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000378:metabolism*; D050154:Adiposity / Q000187:drug effects; D000818:Animals; D001120:Arginine / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000494:pharmacology*; D003920:Diabetes Mellitus / Q000188:drug therapy; D019587:Dietary Supplements; D006728:Hormones / Q000378:metabolism; D006801:Humans; D050356:Lipid Metabolism / Q000187:drug effects; D024821:Metabolic Syndrome / Q000517:prevention & control; D008928:Mitochondria / Q000187:drug effects / Q000378:metabolism; D008954:Models, Biological; D009569:Nitric Oxide / Q000378:metabolism; D009765:Obesity / Q000188:drug therapy; D051381:Rats; D015398:Signal Transduction; D013552:Swine
D006728:Hormones; D009569:Nitric Oxide; D001120:Arginine; D055372:AMP-Activated Protein Kinases