Citrulline malate has a beneficial effect on skeletal muscle function in the endotoxemic rat. - GreenMedInfo Summary
Beneficial effects of citrulline malate on skeletal muscle function in endotoxemic rat.
Eur J Pharmacol. 2009 Jan 5;602(1):143-7. Epub 2008 Nov 17. PMID: 19036344
Centre de Résonance Magnétique Biologique et Médicale, UMR CNRS 6612, Faculté de Médecine de Marseille, Université de Méditerranée, 27 Boulevard Jean Moulin, 13385 Marseille Cedex 5, France. [email protected]
Although citrulline malate (CM; CAS 54940-97-5, Stimol) is used against fatigue states, its anti-asthenic effect remains poorly documented. The objective of this double-blind study was to evaluate the effect of oral ingestion of CM on a rat model of asthenia, using in situ (31)Phosphorus magnetic resonance spectroscopy ((31)P-MRS). Muscle weakness was induced by intraperitoneal injections of Klebsiella pneumoniae endotoxin (lipopolysaccharides at 3 mg/kg) at t(0) and t(0)+24 h. For each animal, muscle function was investigated strictly non-invasively before (t(0)-24 h) and during (t(0)+48 h) endotoxemia, through a standardized rest-stimulation-recovery protocol. The transcutaneous electrical stimulation protocol consisted of 5.7 min of repeated isometric contractions at a frequency of 3.3 Hz, and force production was measured with an ergometer. CM supplementation in endotoxemic animals prevented the basal phosphocreatine/ATP ratio reduction and normalized the intracellular pH (pH(i)) time-course during muscular activity as a sign of an effect at the muscle energetics level. In addition, CM treatment avoided the endotoxemia-induced decline in developed force. These results demonstrate the efficiency of CM for limiting skeletal muscle dysfunction in rats treated with bacterial endotoxin.