Amino acid supplements improve native antioxidant enzyme expression in the skeletal muscle of diabetic mice.

Oxidative stress plays an important role in the pathogenesis of diabetic complications. We investigated the effects of a specific oral mixture of amino acid (AA) supplements on the antioxidant defense system, superoxide dismutase (SOD), and heat shock proteins (HSPs: HspB1, similar to Hsp 20 kDa, and HspB7) in the soleus muscle of streptozotocin (STZ)-diabetic mice by bidimensional electrophoresis and mass spectrometry. Four groups of 5 mice were considered: nondiabetic control mice, nondiabetic mice given AA supplements (0.1 g/kg per day for 15 days), diabetic mice (induced with STZ 65 mg/kg), and diabetic mice given AAs. AA supplements in the nondiabetic animals were associated with a statistical increase of SOD and no changes in expression of HSPs. Diabetes mellitus decreased antioxidant SOD and increased cellular stress as demonstrated by the overall upregulated HSPs. Administration of AAs counteracted the effects of diabetes, producing upregulation of SOD and downregulation of HSPs. These data suggest a role for AA supplements in controlling the antioxidant defense system and reducing the oxidative stress in diabetic skeletal muscle.