Application of Animal Models: Chronic Electrical Stimulation-Induced Contractile Activity

2005 ◽  
Vol 30 (5) ◽  
pp. 625-643 ◽  
Author(s):  
Vladimir Ljubicic ◽  
Peter J. Adhihetty ◽  
David A. Hood

Unilateral, chronic low-frequency electrical stimulation (CLFS) is an experimental model that evokes numerous biochemical and physiological adaptations in skeletal muscle. These occur within a short time frame and are restricted to the stimulated muscle. The humoral effects of whole body exercise are eliminated and the nonstimulated contralaterai limb can often be used as a control muscle, if possible effects on the contralateral side are considered. CLFS induces a fast-to-slow transformation of muscle because of alterations in calcium dynamics and myofibrillar proteins, and a white-to-red transformation because of changes in mitochondrial enzymes, myoglobin, and the induction of angiogenesis. These adaptations occur in a coordinated time-dependent manner and result from altered gene expression, including transcriptional and posttranscriptional processes. CLFS techniques have also been applied to myocytes in cell culture, which provide a greater opportunity for the delivery of pharmacological agents or for the application of gene transfer methodologies. Clinical applications of the CLFS technique have been limited, but they have shown potential therapeutic value in patients in whom voluntary muscle contraction is not possible due to debilitating disease and/or injury. Thus the CLFS technique has great value for studying various aspects of muscle adaptation, and its wider scientific application to a variety of neuromuscular-based disorders in humans appears to be warranted. Key words: skeletal muscle, muscle plasticity, endurance training, mitochondrial biogenesis, fiber types

2021 ◽  
Vol 11 ◽  
Author(s):  
Esteban R. Quezada ◽  
Alexis Díaz-Vegas ◽  
Enrique Jaimovich ◽  
Mariana Casas

The slow calcium transient triggered by low-frequency electrical stimulation (ES) in adult muscle fibers and regulated by the extracellular ATP/IP3/IP3R pathway has been related to muscle plasticity. A regulation of muscular tropism associated with the MCU has also been described. However, the role of transient cytosolic calcium signals and signaling pathways related to muscle plasticity over the regulation of gene expression of the MCU complex (MCU, MICU1, MICU2, and EMRE) in adult skeletal muscle is completely unknown. In the present work, we show that 270 0.3-ms-long pulses at 20-Hz ES (and not at 90 Hz) transiently decreased the mRNA levels of the MCU complex in mice flexor digitorum brevis isolated muscle fibers. Importantly, when ATP released after 20-Hz ES is hydrolyzed by the enzyme apyrase, the repressor effect of 20 Hz on mRNA levels of the MCU complex is lost. Accordingly, the exposure of muscle fibers to 30 μM exogenous ATP produces the same effect as 20-Hz ES. Moreover, the use of apyrase in resting conditions (without ES) increased mRNA levels of MCU, pointing out the importance of extracellular ATP concentration over MCU mRNA levels. The use of xestospongin B (inhibitor of IP3 receptors) also prevented the decrease of mRNA levels of MCU, MICU1, MICU2, and EMRE mediated by a low-frequency ES. Our results show that the MCU complex can be regulated by electrical stimuli in a frequency-dependent manner. The changes observed in mRNA levels may be related to changes in the mitochondria, associated with the phenotypic transition from a fast- to a slow-type muscle, according to the described effect of this stimulation frequency on muscle phenotype. The decrease in mRNA levels of the MCU complex by exogenous ATP and the increase in MCU levels when basal ATP is reduced with the enzyme apyrase indicate that extracellular ATP may be a regulator of the MCU complex. Moreover, our results suggest that this regulation is part of the axes linking low-frequency stimulation with ATP/IP3/IP3R.


2010 ◽  
Vol 298 (1) ◽  
pp. E28-E37 ◽  
Author(s):  
Rajesh H. Amin ◽  
Suresh T. Mathews ◽  
Heidi S. Camp ◽  
Liyun Ding ◽  
Todd Leff

The nuclear receptor peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor (PPAR)γ plays a key role in regulating whole body glucose homeostasis and insulin sensitivity. Although it is expressed most highly in adipose, it is also present at lower levels in many tissues, including skeletal muscle. The role muscle PPARγ plays in metabolic regulation and in mediating the antidiabetic effects of the thiazolidinediones is not understood. The goal of this work was to examine the molecular and physiological effects of PPARγ activation in muscle cells. We found that pharmacological activation of PPARγ in primary cultured myocytes, and genetic activation of muscle PPARγ in muscle tissue of transgenic mice, induced the production of adiponectin directly from muscle cells. This muscle-produced adiponectin was functional and capable of stimulating adiponectin signaling in myocytes. In addition, elevated skeletal muscle PPARγ activity in transgenic mice provided a significant protection from high-fat diet-induced insulin resistance and associated changes in muscle phenotype, including reduced myocyte lipid content and an increase in the proportion of oxidative muscle fiber types. Our findings demonstrate that PPARγ activation in skeletal muscle can have a significant protective effect on whole body glucose homeostasis and insulin resistance and that myocytes can produce and secrete functional adiponectin in a PPARγ-dependent manner. We propose that activation of PPARγ in myocytes induces a local production of adiponectin that acts on muscle tissue to improve insulin sensitivity.


1989 ◽  
Vol 256 (3) ◽  
pp. C506-C514 ◽  
Author(s):  
W. E. Kraus ◽  
T. S. Bernard ◽  
R. S. Williams

Continuous electrical stimulation for 10-21 days of the motor nerve innervating the anterior compartment muscles of adult rabbits increased both the density of beta-adrenergic receptors (beta-AR) and tissue concentrations of adenosine 3',5'-cyclic monophosphate (cAMP) by two to threefold. Changes in cAMP and in beta-AR occurred in parallel with stimulation-induced adaptations in the specific activity of mitochondrial enzymes (2- to 6-fold increases) and with changes in steady-state concentrations of mitochondrial RNA, beta-F1ATPase mRNA, and myoglobin mRNA (2- to 11-fold increases). These increases in muscle cAMP, in beta-AR, and in expression of protein and mRNA products of genes encoding proteins of oxidative metabolism occurred even in animals receiving high doses of propranolol during the period of electrical stimulation. In contrast to genes that encode proteins of oxidative metabolism, the direction and the time course of activity-induced changes in expression of the glycolytic enzyme aldolase A appeared to be unrelated to changes in muscle cAMP; suppression of steady-state concentrations of aldolase A mRNA was maximal (20-25% of control) at early time points preceding the maximal rise in cAMP. In addition, administration of propranolol attenuated the suppressive effect of continuous contractile activity on expression of aldolase A, even in the absence of an effect of this drug on cAMP in stimulated muscles. We conclude that activity-induced changes in cAMP, in beta-AR, and in expression of genes that encode proteins important for oxidative metabolism occur as a direct consequence of contractile activity and do not require concomitant stimulation of beta-AR.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)


1998 ◽  
Vol 275 (3) ◽  
pp. R905-R912 ◽  
Author(s):  
Brendan James Battersby ◽  
Christopher D. Moyes

Skeletal muscle fibers typically undergo modifications in their mitochondrial content, concomitant with alterations in oxidative metabolism that occur during the development of muscle fiber and in response to physiological stimuli. We examined how cold acclimation affects the mitochondrial properties of two fish skeletal muscle fiber types and how the regulators of mitochondrial content differed between tissues. After 2 mo of acclimation to either 4 or 18°C, mitochondrial enzyme activities in both red and white muscle were higher in cold-acclimated fish. No significant differences were detected between acclimation temperatures in the abundance of steady-state mitochondrial mRNA (cytochrome- c oxidase 1, subunit 6 of F0F1-ATPase), rRNA (16S), or DNA copy number. Steady-state mRNA for nuclear-encoded respiratory (adenine nucleotide translocase 1) and glycolytic genes showed high interindividual variability, particularly in the cold-acclimated fish. Although mitochondrial enzymes were 10-fold different between the two muscle types, mitochondrial DNA copy number differed only 4-fold. The relative abundance of mitochondrial mRNA and nuclear mRNA in red and white muscle reflected the differences in copy number of their respective genes. These data suggest that the response to physiological stimuli and determination of tissue-specific mitochondrial properties likely result from the regulation of nuclear-encoded genes.


Author(s):  
Jesper Emil Jakobsgaard ◽  
Jacob Andresen ◽  
Frank V. de Paoli ◽  
Kristian Vissing

Skeletal muscle phenotype may influence the response sensitivity of myocellular regulatory mechanisms to contractile activity. To examine this, we employed an ex vivo endurance-type dynamic contraction model to evaluate skeletal muscle phenotype-specific protein signaling responses in rat skeletal muscle. Preparations of slow-twitch soleus and fast-twitch extensor digitorum longus skeletal muscle from 4-wk old female Wistar rats were exposed to an identical ex vivo dynamic endurance-type contraction paradigm consisting of 40 minutes of stretch-shortening contractions under simultaneous low-frequency electrostimulation delivered in an intermittent pattern. Phosphorylation of proteins involved in metabolic signaling and signaling for translation initiation was evaluated at 0, 1, and 4 hours after stimulation by immunoblotting. For both muscle phenotypes, signaling related to metabolic events was upregulated immediately after stimulation, with concomitant absence of signaling for translation-initiation. Signaling for translation-initiation was then activated in both muscle phenotypes at 1-4 hours after stimulation, coinciding with attenuated metabolic signaling. The recognizable pattern of signaling responses support how our ex vivo dynamic muscle contraction model can be utilized to infer a stretch-shortening contraction pattern resembling stretch-shortening contraction of in vivo endurance exercise. Moreover, using this model, we observed that some specific signaling proteins adhering to metabolic events or to translation initation exhibited phosphorylation changes in a phenotype-dependent manner, whereas other signaling proteins exhibited phenotype-independent changes. These findings may aid the interpretation of myocellular signaling outcomes adhering to mixed muscle samples collected during human experimental trials.


2020 ◽  
Vol 4 (Supplement_1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Alba Moreno-Asso ◽  
Luke C McIlvenna ◽  
Rhiannon K Patten ◽  
Andrew J McAinch ◽  
Raymond J Rodgers ◽  
...  

Abstract Polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) is the most common female endocrine disorder affecting metabolic, reproductive and mental health of 8-13% of reproductive-age women. Insulin resistance (IR) appears to underpin the pathophysiology of PCOS and is present in approximately 85% of women with PCOS. This underlying IR has been identified as unique from, but synergistic with, obesity-induced IR (1). Skeletal muscle accounts for up to 85% of whole body insulin-stimulated glucose uptake, however, in PCOS this is reduced about 27% when assessed by hyperinsulinemic euglycemic clamp (2). Interestingly, this reduced insulin-stimulated glucose uptake observed in skeletal muscle tissue is not retained in cultured myotubes (3), suggesting that environmental factors may play a role in this PCOS-specific IR. Yet, the molecular mechanisms regulating IR remain unclear (4). Previous work suggested that Transforming Growth Factor Beta (TGFβ) superfamily ligands may be involved in the metabolic morbidity associated with PCOS (5). In this study, we investigated the effects of TGFβ1 (1, 5ng/ml), and the Anti-Müllerian hormone (AMH; 5, 10, 30ng/ml), a novel TGFβ superfamily ligand elevated in women with PCOS, as causal factors of IR in cultured myotubes from women with PCOS (n=10) and healthy controls (n=10). AMH negatively affected glucose uptake and insulin signalling increasing p-IRS1 (ser312) in a dose-dependent manner in myotubes from both women with and without PCOS. AMH did not appear to activate the canonical TGFβ/BMP signalling pathway. Conversely, TGFβ1 had an opposite effect in both PCOS and control myotubes cultures, decreasing phosphorylation of IRS1 (ser312) and enhancing glucose uptake via Smad2/3 signalling. In conclusion, these results suggest that AMH may play a role in skeletal muscle IR observed in PCOS, however, further research is required to elucidate its mechanisms of action and broader impact in this syndrome. References: (1) Stepto et al. Hum Reprod 2013 Mar;28(3):777-784. (2) Cassar et al. Hum Reprod 2016 Nov;31(11):2619-2631. (3) Corbould et al., Am J Physiol-Endoc 2005 May;88(5):E1047-54. (4) Stepto et al. J Clin Endocrinol Metab, 2019 Nov 1;104(11):5372-5381. (5) Raja-Khan et al. Reprod Sci 2014 Jan;21(1):20-31.


2000 ◽  
Vol 6 (S2) ◽  
pp. 852-853
Author(s):  
Glenn M. Cohen ◽  
Margaret F. Scott

Striated skeletal muscle has been considered radioresistant because it is highly differentiated and post-mitotic. Striated muscle does, however, respond to irradiation with morphological and biochemical changes after short and long latency periods; vascular and/or neurological impairments might contribute to the delayed responses to irradiation.The objective of the present study was to determine the susceptibility of three amphibian muscle fiber types to Co60 irradiation. In amphibians, the three major fiber types are 1) large twitch fibers, which contain low levels of mitochondrial enzymes and lipids, but intermediate levels of glycogen; 2) small twitch fibers, which contain high levels of both glycolytic and mitochondrial enzymes (FIG. 1); and tonic fibers, which contain low levels of all three histochemical markers. Thus, the determination of susceptibility of different amphibian fiber types to irradiation might indicate whether the metabolic characteristics of the fibers, rather than morphological or electrical properties, could serve as an early indicator of radiation damage.


1987 ◽  
Vol 253 (1) ◽  
pp. E33-E39 ◽  
Author(s):  
K. Meszaros ◽  
G. J. Bagby ◽  
C. H. Lang ◽  
J. J. Spitzer

Glucose metabolism of respiratory and nonrespiratory muscles of different fiber composition was investigated in conscious rats. The accumulation of phosphorylated 2-deoxyglucose (2DGP) was increased in skeletal muscles by 56-102% and in diaphragm by 236% at 3 h after treatment with 100 micrograms/100 g endotoxin. The increase was still marked at 24 h, whereas it diminished at 48 h in the diaphragm, abdominal muscle, and white portion of the quadriceps. In the red portion of this muscle 2DGP accumulation was less than that in time-matched controls at 24 and 48 h. Whole gastrocnemius (mixed-fiber types) showed no changes after 24 h. The high 2DGP accumulation in brain remained stable. The retention of 2DGP in tissues, studied by sequential double labeling, did not change 3 h after endotoxin. The lumped constant was similar in the isolated epitrochlear muscles of endotoxemic and control rats. Whole-body glucose utilization (Rd) was increased by 68% 3 h after endotoxin, but it was normal at 24 and 48 h. The increase of glucose utilization by the entire skeletal muscle mass was responsible for approximately 25% of the increase in Rd; therefore it appears that other tissues also contributed significantly to the endotoxin-induced alterations in carbohydrate metabolism.


2013 ◽  
Vol 52 (1) ◽  
pp. R107-R123 ◽  
Author(s):  
Viral Chikani ◽  
Ken K Y Ho

Skeletal muscle is a target tissue of GH. Based on its anabolic properties, it is widely accepted that GH enhances muscle performance in sports and muscle function in the elderly. This paper critically reviews information on the effects of GH on muscle function covering structure, protein metabolism, the role of IGF1 mediation, bioenergetics and performance drawn from molecular, cellular and physiological studies on animals and humans. GH increases muscle strength by enhancing muscle mass without affecting contractile force or fibre composition type. GH stimulates whole-body protein accretion with protein synthesis occurring in muscular and extra-muscular sites. The energy required to power muscle function is derived from a continuum of anaerobic and aerobic sources. Molecular and functional studies provide evidence that GH stimulates the anaerobic and suppresses the aerobic energy system, in turn affecting power-based functional measures in a time-dependent manner. GH exerts complex multi-system effects on skeletal muscle function in part mediated by the IGF system.


1991 ◽  
Vol 160 (1) ◽  
pp. 127-148 ◽  
Author(s):  
D. F. Goldspink

Contractile activity is an important determinant of the size, rate of protein turnover and phenotypic properties of muscle. Animal models that decrease muscle activity invariably accelerate the rate of protein degradation, usually complementing decreases in the rate of protein synthesis. The net effect is muscle atrophy. By contrast, increased activity and/or passive stretch enhance the synthesis of new proteins, whilst protein catabolism may be either decreased or increased. Muscle hypertrophy results. Endurance activities in man and animals usually induce cardiac hypertrophy, and increased fatigue resistance in skeletal muscle. During exercise the whole body and its skeletal musculature exhibit a negative nitrogen balance, and there is general agreement that rates of protein synthesis are decreased. Changes in protein degradation are, however, much less clearly defined. Resistance exercises induce the opposite changes, with the size of the heart remaining unchanged whilst the bulk and strength of skeletal muscle increase. No real consensus currently exists about the nature of the changes in protein turnover with this type of exercise. More carefully designed and executed experiments are required.


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