Horse Meat Hydrolysate Ameliorates Dexamethasone-Induced Muscle Atrophy in C57BL/6 Mice via the AKT/FoxO3a/mTOR Pathway
As life expectancy increases, muscle atrophy, characterized by a decline in muscle mass and strength that can impair mobility, has become a growing concern, highlighting the potential of protein supplementation as a promising intervention strategy. A horse meat hydrolysate, with a molecular weight o...
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MDPI AG
2025-07-01
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| author | Hee-Jeong Lee Dongwook Kim Yousung Jung Soomin Oh Cho Hee Kim Aera Jang |
| author_facet | Hee-Jeong Lee Dongwook Kim Yousung Jung Soomin Oh Cho Hee Kim Aera Jang |
| author_sort | Hee-Jeong Lee |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | As life expectancy increases, muscle atrophy, characterized by a decline in muscle mass and strength that can impair mobility, has become a growing concern, highlighting the potential of protein supplementation as a promising intervention strategy. A horse meat hydrolysate, with a molecular weight of less than 3 kDa, derived from m. <i>biceps femoris</i> and produced using the food-grade enzyme Alcalase<sup>®</sup> (A4 < 3kDa) was evaluated for its efficacy in mitigating dexamethasone-induced muscle atrophy, a widely accepted model for studying catabolic muscle loss. Administered orally to C57BL/6 mice at dosages of 200 mg/kg or 500 mg/kg body weight for 35 days, A4 < 3kDa effectively countered the weight loss induced by dexamethasone in the whole body, quadriceps, tibialis anterior, and gastrocnemius muscles. Moreover, it increased muscle fiber cross-sectional area and grip strength. These effects were attributed to increased protein synthesis via the protein kinase B (AKT)/forkhead box O3 (FoxO3a)/mammalian target of rapamycin (mTOR) signaling pathway. A4 < 3kDa augmented the phosphorylation of key components of the signaling pathways associated with muscle atrophy, resulting in reduced mRNA expression of Atrogin-1 and MuRF-1. These findings demonstrate the potential of A4 < 3kDa as a functional food ingredient for preventing muscle atrophy. |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj-art-525941e93cf942b79b07749ce0cb817a |
| institution | DOAJ |
| issn | 2073-4409 |
| language | English |
| publishDate | 2025-07-01 |
| publisher | MDPI AG |
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| series | Cells |
| spelling | doaj-art-525941e93cf942b79b07749ce0cb817a2025-08-20T02:45:54ZengMDPI AGCells2073-44092025-07-011414105010.3390/cells14141050Horse Meat Hydrolysate Ameliorates Dexamethasone-Induced Muscle Atrophy in C57BL/6 Mice via the AKT/FoxO3a/mTOR PathwayHee-Jeong Lee0Dongwook Kim1Yousung Jung2Soomin Oh3Cho Hee Kim4Aera Jang5Department of Applied Animal Science, Kangwon National University, Chuncheon 24341, Republic of KoreaDepartment of Applied Animal Science, Kangwon National University, Chuncheon 24341, Republic of KoreaDepartment of Applied Animal Science, Kangwon National University, Chuncheon 24341, Republic of KoreaDepartment of Applied Animal Science, Kangwon National University, Chuncheon 24341, Republic of KoreaCollege of Nursing, Kangwon National University, Chuncheon 24341, Republic of KoreaDepartment of Applied Animal Science, Kangwon National University, Chuncheon 24341, Republic of KoreaAs life expectancy increases, muscle atrophy, characterized by a decline in muscle mass and strength that can impair mobility, has become a growing concern, highlighting the potential of protein supplementation as a promising intervention strategy. A horse meat hydrolysate, with a molecular weight of less than 3 kDa, derived from m. <i>biceps femoris</i> and produced using the food-grade enzyme Alcalase<sup>®</sup> (A4 < 3kDa) was evaluated for its efficacy in mitigating dexamethasone-induced muscle atrophy, a widely accepted model for studying catabolic muscle loss. Administered orally to C57BL/6 mice at dosages of 200 mg/kg or 500 mg/kg body weight for 35 days, A4 < 3kDa effectively countered the weight loss induced by dexamethasone in the whole body, quadriceps, tibialis anterior, and gastrocnemius muscles. Moreover, it increased muscle fiber cross-sectional area and grip strength. These effects were attributed to increased protein synthesis via the protein kinase B (AKT)/forkhead box O3 (FoxO3a)/mammalian target of rapamycin (mTOR) signaling pathway. A4 < 3kDa augmented the phosphorylation of key components of the signaling pathways associated with muscle atrophy, resulting in reduced mRNA expression of Atrogin-1 and MuRF-1. These findings demonstrate the potential of A4 < 3kDa as a functional food ingredient for preventing muscle atrophy.https://www.mdpi.com/2073-4409/14/14/1050horse meatmuscle atrophyhydrolysatesarcopeniadexamethasoneproteolysis |
| spellingShingle | Hee-Jeong Lee Dongwook Kim Yousung Jung Soomin Oh Cho Hee Kim Aera Jang Horse Meat Hydrolysate Ameliorates Dexamethasone-Induced Muscle Atrophy in C57BL/6 Mice via the AKT/FoxO3a/mTOR Pathway Cells horse meat muscle atrophy hydrolysate sarcopenia dexamethasone proteolysis |
| title | Horse Meat Hydrolysate Ameliorates Dexamethasone-Induced Muscle Atrophy in C57BL/6 Mice via the AKT/FoxO3a/mTOR Pathway |
| title_full | Horse Meat Hydrolysate Ameliorates Dexamethasone-Induced Muscle Atrophy in C57BL/6 Mice via the AKT/FoxO3a/mTOR Pathway |
| title_fullStr | Horse Meat Hydrolysate Ameliorates Dexamethasone-Induced Muscle Atrophy in C57BL/6 Mice via the AKT/FoxO3a/mTOR Pathway |
| title_full_unstemmed | Horse Meat Hydrolysate Ameliorates Dexamethasone-Induced Muscle Atrophy in C57BL/6 Mice via the AKT/FoxO3a/mTOR Pathway |
| title_short | Horse Meat Hydrolysate Ameliorates Dexamethasone-Induced Muscle Atrophy in C57BL/6 Mice via the AKT/FoxO3a/mTOR Pathway |
| title_sort | horse meat hydrolysate ameliorates dexamethasone induced muscle atrophy in c57bl 6 mice via the akt foxo3a mtor pathway |
| topic | horse meat muscle atrophy hydrolysate sarcopenia dexamethasone proteolysis |
| url | https://www.mdpi.com/2073-4409/14/14/1050 |
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