Effects of single and combined metformin and L-citrulline supplementation on L-arginine-related pathways in Becker muscular dystrophy patients: possible biochemical and clinical implications

Amino Acids
Erik HanffDimitrios Tsikas

Abstract

The L-arginine/nitric oxide synthase (NOS) pathway is considered to be altered in muscular dystrophy such as Becker muscular dystrophy (BMD). We investigated two pharmacological options aimed to increase nitric oxide (NO) synthesis in 20 male BMD patients (age range 21-44 years): (1) supplementation with L-citrulline (3 × 5 g/d), the precursor of L-arginine which is the substrate of neuronal NO synthase (nNOS); and (2) treatment with the antidiabetic drug metformin (3 × 500 mg/d) which activates nNOS in human skeletal muscle. We also investigated the combined use of L-citrulline (3 × 5 g/d) and metformin (3 × 500 mg/d). Before and after treatment, we measured in serum and urine samples the concentration of amino acids and metabolites of L-arginine-related pathways and the oxidative stress biomarker malondialdehyde (MDA). Compared to healthy subjects, BMD patients have altered NOS, arginine:glycine amidinotransferase (AGAT) and guanidinoacetate methyltransferase (GAMT) pathways. Metformin treatment resulted in concentration decrease of arginine and MDA in serum, and of homoarginine (hArg) and guanidinoacetate (GAA) in serum and urine. L-Citrulline supplementation resulted in considerable increase of the concentrations of amino a...Continue Reading

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Citations

Dec 6, 2019·International Journal of Molecular Sciences·Libero VitielloMarcella Canton
Jul 20, 2020·Journal of Human Nutrition and Dietetics : the Official Journal of the British Dietetic Association·S AziziR Mahdavi
Aug 9, 2020·American Journal of Physiology. Heart and Circulatory Physiology·Joanne F GarbinciusDaniel E Michele
Sep 16, 2019·Neuromuscular Disorders : NMD·Jessica F BoehlerCarl A Morris

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Methods Mentioned

BETA
MDA
biopsies

Software Mentioned

GraphPad
SPSS
GraphPad Prism

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