The present study was conducted to investigate effects of rabbit meat extract on energy metabolism and muscle differentiation in C2C12 myotubes. Water extract of rabbit meat (10, 50, 100, and 200 μg/ml) was used to treat differentiated C2C12 cells. Reverse transcriptase polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) and western blot analysis were used to determine mRNA or protein levels of energy metabolism-related genes. Total adenosine triphosphate (ATP) content was also measured. Treatment with rabbit meat extract significantly increased expression levels of muscle differentiation markers (myogenin and myosin heavy chain) and mitochondrial biogenesis regulators (PGC1α, NRF1, and TFAM) in C2C12 myotubes compared to non-treated control. Additionally, rabbit meat extract activated phosphorylation of AMPK and acetyl-coA carboxylase (ACC). Rabbit meat extract significantly increased ATP contents in myotubes. These results suggest that rabbit meat extract has the potential to improve energy metabolism in skeletal muscles.

Perception of sweet compounds is important for animals to detect external carbohydrate source of calories and plays a crucial role in feeding behavior of animals. Recent progress in molecular genetic studies provides evidence for a candidate receptor (heterodimers with taste receptor type 1 member 2 and 3: T1R2/T1R3), and major downstream transduction molecules required for sweet taste signaling. Several studies demonstrated that the sweet taste signal can be modulated by a satiety hormone, leptin, through its receptors expressed in a subset of sweet-sensitive taste cells. Increase of internal energy storage in the adipose tissue leads to increase in the plasma leptin level which can reduce activities of sweet-sensitive cells. In human, thus, diurnal variation of plasma leptin level parallels variation of taste recognition thresholds for sweet compounds. This leptin modulation of sweet taste sensitivity may influence individuals' preference, ingestive behavior, and absorption of nutrients, thereby plays important roles in regulation of energy homeostasis.