Effect of regular training on the myocardial and plasma concentrations of taurine and alpha-amino acids in thoroughbred horses.
Abstract: Exercise induces significant changes in the free intracellular amino acid pool in skeletal muscle but little is known of whether such changes also occur in cardiac muscle. In this study the effect of regular exercise on the size and the constituents of the free amino acid pool in the hearts and in the plasma of thoroughbred horses was investigated. The total free intracellular amino acid pool in the hearts of control horses was 30.9 +/- 1.2 mumol/g wet weight (n = 6). Glutamine but not taurine was present at the highest concentration (13.5 +/- 0.9 and 7.7 +/- 0.69 mumol/g wet weight for glutamine and taurine respectively). As for the rest of the amino acids in the pool, only glutamate and alanine were present at levels greater than 1 mumol/g wet weight (4.6 +/- 0.25 and 1.7 +/- 0.14 for glutamate and alanine respectively). The tissue to plasma ratio was highest for taurine at 155, followed by glutamate at 111, aspartate and glutamine at 37, alanine at 5.8 and ratios of less than 3 for the rest of the amino acids. The total free intracellular amino acid pool in the hearts of exercised horses was slightly but not significantly lower than control (28.1 +/- 1.1 mumol/g wet weight, n = 6). Regular exercise increased the intracellular concentration of threonine, valine, isoleucine, leucine and phenylalanine but was only significant (p < 0.05) for threonine. This work has documented the profile of taurine and protein amino acids in the heart and in the plasma of thoroughbred horses and showed that in contrast to skeletal muscle, heart muscle does not show major changes in amino acids during regular exercise.
Publication Date: 1999-01-01 PubMed ID: 9871503DOI: 10.1007/BF01318863Google Scholar: Lookup
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- Journal Article
- Research Support
- Non-U.S. Gov't
Summary
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This research article investigates how regular exercise affects the concentrations of free amino acids in the heart and blood plasma of thoroughbred horses. Experiments show that, unlike skeletal muscle which sees significant changes, heart muscle does not show major changes in amino acid concentrations during regular exercise.
Objective and Methodology
- The research set out to analyze how regular exercise affects the levels of amino acids in the hearts and blood plasma of thoroughbred horses.
- This was done by investigating the size and the constituents of the free amino acid pool in these parts of the horses’ anatomy.
- The total free intracellular amino acid pool was measured in both control horses and those which had exercised regularly.
Findings
- The study found that the total free intracellular amino acid pool in the hearts of control horses was 30.9 +/- 1.2 µmol/g wet weight.
- Glutamine had the highest concentration, followed by taurine. Other amino acids present at levels greater than 1 µmol/g wet weight were glutamate and alanine.
- The ratio of tissue to plasma was highest for taurine at 155, followed by glutamate at 111, aspartate and glutamine at 37, alanine at 5.8, and ratios of less than 3 for the rest of the amino acids.
- The total free intracellular amino acid pool in the hearts of regularly exercised horses was slightly lower than in control horses.
- Regular exercise increased the intracellular concentration of threonine, valine, isoleucine, leucine and phenylalanine. However, the increase was only statistically significant for threonine.
Conclusions
- The research concluded that, in contrast to skeletal muscle, heart muscles in thoroughbred horses do not show major changes in amino acid concentrations during regular exercise.
- This suggests that regular exercise may not significantly affect the free intracellular amino acid pool in the hearts of thoroughbred horses.
Cite This Article
APA
King N, Suleiman MS.
(1999).
Effect of regular training on the myocardial and plasma concentrations of taurine and alpha-amino acids in thoroughbred horses.
Amino Acids, 15(3), 241-251.
https://doi.org/10.1007/BF01318863 Publication
Researcher Affiliations
- Bristol Heart Institute, University Department of Cardiac Surgery, Bristol Royal Infirmary, United Kingdom.
MeSH Terms
- Amino Acids / blood
- Amino Acids / metabolism
- Animals
- Horses
- Myocardium / chemistry
- Myocardium / metabolism
- Physical Conditioning, Animal / physiology
- Taurine / blood
- Taurine / metabolism
Citations
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