title: The effects of high-fat diet, branched-chainamino acids and exercise on female C57BL/6 mouse Achilles tendon biomechanical properties.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  The goals of this study were: 1) to determine if high-fat diet (HFD) feeding in female mice would negatively impact biomechanical and histologic consequences on the Achilles tendon and quadriceps muscle; and 2) to investigate whether exercise and branched-chain amino acid (BCAA) supplementation would affect these parameters or attenuate any negative consequences resulting from HFD consumption.
  
  
  METHODS
  We examined the effects of 16 weeks of 60% HFD feeding, voluntary exercise (free choice wheel running) and BCAA administration in female C57BL/6 mice. The Achilles tendons and quadriceps muscles were removed at the end of the experiment and assessed histologically and biomechanically.
  
  
  RESULTS
  HFD feeding significantly decreased the Achilles tendon modulus without histological alterations. BCAA administration significantly decreased the stiffness of Achilles tendons in the exercised normal diet mice. Exercise partially ameliorated both the weight gain and glucose levels in the HFD-fed mice, led to a significant decrease in the maximum load of the Achilles tendon, and an increase in the average fibril diameter of the quadriceps femoris muscle. There were significant correlations between body weight and several biomechanical properties, demonstrating the importance of controlling obesity for maintaining healthy tendon properties.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  In summary, this study showed a significant impact of obesity and body weight on tendon biomechanical properties with limited effects of exercise and BCAAs. Cite this article: Bone Joint Res 2013;2:186-92.
authors.affiliation: Wright State University Boonshoft Schoolof Medicine, 3640 Col. Glenn Highway, Dayton, Ohio45435, USA.
authors.forename: G P
authors.initials: GP
authors.lastname: Boivin
authors.forename: K M
authors.initials: KM
authors.lastname: Platt
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Corbett
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Reeves
authors.forename: A L
authors.initials: AL
authors.lastname: Hardy
authors.forename: E Y
authors.initials: EY
authors.lastname: Elenes
authors.forename: R J
authors.initials: RJ
authors.lastname: Charnigo
authors.forename: S A
authors.initials: SA
authors.lastname: Hunter
authors.forename: K J
authors.initials: KJ
authors.lastname: Pearson
keywords: Achilles tendon; BCAA supplement; Mouse; Obesity; Voluntary exercise
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