Pomegranate extract prevents skeletal muscle of mice against wasting induced by acute TNF-α injection.
We investigated whether punicalagin-rich pomegranate extract (PE) protects skeletal muscle of mice against inflammation induced by an acute injection of TNF-α.



Mice fed with PE or standard chow during 6 wk were injected with TNF-α (100 ng/g) or vehicle and sacrificed 6 h later. Prior supplementation with PE prevented the loss of tibialis anterior mass induced by TNF-α. In skeletal muscle, the activation of the NF-κB signaling and the induction of cytokines mRNA were reduced in mice having received PE. In those mice, the activity of the Akt/mTORC1 pathway and the protein synthesis were maintained after TNF-α injection whereas markers involved in the ubiquitin proteasome pathway were less activated. As urolithin A was the only punicalagin metabolite detectable in plasma of mice supplemented with PE, we performed in vitro experiments using a murine cell line (C2C12) to provide evidence that urolithin A is likely the active compound protecting skeletal muscle against TNF-α-induced inflammation.



These results suggest that supplementation with a punicalagin-rich PE may protect skeletal muscle against an acute inflammation.
Institute of Neuroscience, Université catholique de Louvain, Louvain-la-Neuve, Belgium.
Julie
J
Rodriguez
Institut Meurice, Haute Ecole Lucia de Brouckère, Anderlecht, Belgium.
Olivier
O
Caille
Department of BioMolecular Sciences, Division of Pharmacognosy, Research Institute of Pharmaceutical Sciences, School of Pharmacy, The University of Mississippi, MS, USA.
Daneel
D
Ferreira
Institute of Neuroscience, Université catholique de Louvain, Louvain-la-Neuve, Belgium.
Marc
M
Francaux
D000818:Animals; D002460:Cell Line; D003374:Coumarins / Q000494:pharmacology; D016207:Cytokines / Q000378:metabolism; D005260:Female; D047348:Hydrolyzable Tannins / Q000494:pharmacology; D029561:Lythraceae / Q000737:chemistry*; D008297:Male; D000076222:Mechanistic Target of Rapamycin Complex 1; D051379:Mice; D046912:Multiprotein Complexes; D018482:Muscle, Skeletal / Q000187:drug effects / Q000378:metabolism*; D016328:NF-kappa B / Q000378:metabolism; D010936:Plant Extracts / Q000494:pharmacology* / Q000627:therapeutic use; D012333:RNA, Messenger / Q000378:metabolism; D015398:Signal Transduction / Q000187:drug effects; D058570:TOR Serine-Threonine Kinases; D014409:Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha / Q000494:pharmacology*
D003374:Coumarins; D016207:Cytokines; D047348:Hydrolyzable Tannins; D046912:Multiprotein Complexes; D016328:NF-kappa B; D010936:Plant Extracts; D012333:RNA, Messenger; D014409:Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha; C026423:3,8-dihydroxy-6H-dibenzo(b,d)pyran-6-one; C115642:punicalagin; D000076222:Mechanistic Target of Rapamycin Complex 1; D058570:TOR Serine-Threonine Kinases
Ellagitannins; NF-κB; Polyphenols; Punicalagins; Urolithin A