Drugs that suppress hepatic fat synthesis in starved-refed BHE/cdb rats also have an effect on muscle protein synthesis.

Simultaneous lipogenesis and protein synthesis as influenced by LY79771, testosterone, or dehydroepiandrosterone in starved/refed rats were studied. Starved-refed BHE/cdb rats were injected with one of these compounds during the 2-day refeed period. Hepatic de novo fatty acid synthesis using tritium incorporation into fatty acids and protein synthesis using [14C]phenylalanine incorporation into hepatic and muscle protein were determined. Hepatic lipogenesis was decreased by all three drugs and these drugs had a differential effect on protein synthesis. We did not observe a corresponding increase in protein synthesis in the liver when fat synthesis was decreased, but we did observe a corresponding increase in muscle protein synthesis. We concluded that in the acute hyperlipogenic state induced by starvation/refeeding, these drugs induced a reciprocal increase in muscle protein synthesis along with a suppression of fatty acid synthesis.