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ARS Home » Plains Area » Houston, Texas » Children's Nutrition Research Center » Research » Publications at this Location » Publication #256756
Title: Feeding rapidly stimulates protein synthesis in skeletal muscle of neonatal pigs by enhancing translation initiation

Author
item WILSON, FIONA - Children'S Nutrition Research Center (CNRC)
item SURYAWAN, AGUS - Children'S Nutrition Research Center (CNRC)
item ORELLANA, RENAN - Children'S Nutrition Research Center (CNRC)
item KIMBALL, SCOT - Pennsylvania State University
item GAZZANEO, MARIA - Children'S Nutrition Research Center (CNRC)
item NGUYEN, HANH - Children'S Nutrition Research Center (CNRC)
item FIOROTTO, MARTA - Children'S Nutrition Research Center (CNRC)
item DAVIS, TERESA - Children'S Nutrition Research Center (CNRC)

Submitted to: Journal of Nutrition
Publication Type: Peer Reviewed Journal
Publication Acceptance Date: 7/20/2009
Publication Date: 8/19/2009
Citation: Wilson, F.A., Suryawan, A., Orellana, R.A., Kimball, S.R., Gazzaneo, M.C., Nguyen, H.V., Fiorotto, M.L., Davis, T.A. 2009. Feeding rapidly stimulates protein synthesis in skeletal muscle of neonatal pigs by enhancing translation initiation. Journal of Nutrition. 139(10):1873-1880.

Interpretive Summary: In newborns, food consumption increases protein synthesis in most tissues and this increase is greatest in skeletal muscle. In this study, we would like to identify changes in the rate of protein synthesis and the activation of some protein synthetic processes in newborn pig muscle after a meal. The protein synthesis reached peak relatively fast and was sustained for quite a long time (about 2 hours) then returned to baseline. In summary, in newborn animals, feeding rapidly increased muscle protein synthesis and this increase was sustained at least 2 hours after the meal. The results provide us with a basic understating of the feeding regimen that can be used to optimize growth for newborn humans. The public will benefit by understanding the important aspects of nutrition as it affects newborns.

Technical Abstract: Food consumption increases protein synthesis in most tissues by promoting translation initiation, and in the neonate, this increase is greatest in skeletal muscle. In this study, we aimed to identify the currently unknown time course of changes in the rate of protein synthesis and the activation of factors involved in translation in neonatal muscle after a meal. After overnight food deprivation, 36 5- to 7-d-old piglets were administered a nutritionally complete bolus i.g. meal and were killed immediately before or 30, 60, 90, 120, or 240 min later. The increase in skeletal muscle protein synthesis peaked 30 min after the meal and this was sustained through 120 min, returning to baseline thereafter. The relative proportion of polysomes to nonpolysomes was higher only after 30 min. Protein kinase B phosphorylation peaked 30 min after feeding and returned to baseline by 90 min. The phosphorylation of mammalian target of rapamycin, eukaryotic initiation factor (eIF)4E binding protein (4E-BP1), ribosomal protein S6, and eIF4G was increased within 30 min of feeding and persisted through 120 min, but all had returned to baseline by 240 min. The association of 4E-BP1/eIF4E was reduced and eIF4E/eIF4G increased 30 min after receiving a meal, remaining so for 120 min, before returning to baseline at 240 min. Thus, in neonates, food consumption rapidly increased skeletal muscle protein synthesis by enhancing translation initiation and this increase was sustained for at least 120 min after the meal but returned to baseline by 240 min after the feeding.