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Does l-leucine supplementation cause any effect on glucose homeostasis in rodent models of glucose intolerance? A systematic review

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Abstract

l-Leucine has been used to improve metabolic outcomes in glucose-intolerant rodent models. However, because studies have used different experimental models and conditions it is difficult to establish the best approach for new clinical trials evaluating the potential effects of l-leucine on glucose homeostasis. We performed a systematic review to report the effect of l-leucine supplementation on glucose homeostasis in rodents with glucose intolerance. The search engines MEDLINE and ScienceDirect were applied using MeSH terms. Thirty-four studies were included in this systematic review. Based on the current data, ingestion of 90–140 mg day−1 of isolated l-leucine in diet-induced obesity (DIO) models shows improvement in metabolic markers if offered during the development of the metabolic disorder in almost all the studies, but not after. Branched-chain amino acid supplementation was effective in streptozotocin-induced β-cells death but not in DIO models. l-Leucine supplementation seems to have an optimal dose and timing for supplementation to improve glucose homeostasis in DIO.

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Funding

This research did not receive any specific grant from funding agencies in public, commercial or not-for-profit sectors. The corresponding author is funded by the National Council for Scientific and Technological Development (CNPq) and is a CNPq Research Productivity Fellow. The first and the second authors received Ph.D. scholarships from the Coordination for the Improvement of Higher Education Personnel (CAPES).

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Physiological Sciences Department, Federal University of Santa Catarina, Florianópolis, Brazil

    Henver S. Brunetta, Carolina Q. de Camargo & Everson A. Nunes

  2. Graduation Program in Nutrition, Federal University of Santa Catarina, Florianópolis, Brazil

    Carolina Q. de Camargo & Everson A. Nunes

  3. Multicenter Graduation Program in Physiological Sciences, Federal University of Santa Catarina, Florianópolis, Brazil

    Henver S. Brunetta & Everson A. Nunes

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  1. Henver S. Brunetta
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  2. Carolina Q. de Camargo
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Correspondence to Everson A. Nunes.

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Handling Editor: R. C. Waterman.

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Brunetta, H.S., de Camargo, C.Q. & Nunes, E.A. Does l-leucine supplementation cause any effect on glucose homeostasis in rodent models of glucose intolerance? A systematic review. Amino Acids 50, 1663–1678 (2018). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00726-018-2658-8

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