Effect of glutamine and electrical stimulation on metabolic profile of denervated muscles

Abstract

The purpose of this work was to evaluate the glycogen content of normal and denervated soleus (S) and gastrocnemius muscles, plasmatic concentration of glucose and lactic acid, besides soleus muscle weight of male rats, submitted to electrical stimulation (ES) (20 minutes/day, f= 10 Hz; i= 5mA; t= 3 ms) in alternated days, associated (ES+G) or not to glutamine during 30 days. The denervation promoted a significant reduction (p < 0,05) of 40.91% in S glycogen reserves, 38.77% in white gastrocnemius (WG) and 64.61% in red gastrocnemius (RG). The ES promoted glycogen significant increase (p < 0.05) of 111.36% in Control (C) S content and 103.84% in Denervated (D); 114.28% in C-WG and 153.33% in DWG; 41.54% in C-RG and 147.83% in D-RG. In glutamine presence there was a significant increase (p < 0,05) of 54% in S glycogen, without alterations in other muscles of the C group and of 46% in S, 27% in WG and 52% in RG in D. The glycogen also presented significant increase (p < 0,05) in ES+G group of 104.54% in C-S and 100% in D-S; 70.45% in C-WG and 110% in D-WG; 27.69% in C-RG and 100% in D-RG. In relation to the S weight, there was a decrease of 43.73% in D group (p < 0,05), however the ES treatment promoted a significant increase (p < 0,05) of 9.76% in D. The associated treatment promoted an increase of 43.11% in C and 38.11% in D (p < 0,05). The results demonstrated that ES associated or not to glutamine maintain metabolic profile of skeletal muscles ensuring adequate cellular energetic supply, besides minimize the muscular weight loss after denervation