Phosphorylated ERK1/2 protein levels are closely associated with the fast fiber phenotypes in rat hindlimb skeletal muscles.

The relationship between the extracellular signal-regulated kinase 1 and 2 (ERK1/2), one of the mitogen-activated protein kinases (MAPKs), and mammalian skeletal muscle fiber phenotype is unclear. We looked at this relationship in three in vivo conditions in male Wistar rats. First, the levels of phosphorylated (active) ERK1/2 protein were closely associated with the fiber type composition of sedentary rat hindlimb muscles: highest in the superficial portion of the gastrocnemius (100% fast fibers), lower in the plantaris (~ 80% fast fibers), and lowest in the soleus (~ 15% fast fibers).

Heat-Stress effects on the myosin heavy chain phenotype of rat soleus fibers during the early stages of regeneration.

Introduction: We investigated heat-stress effects on the adult myosin heavy chain (MyHC) profile of soleus muscle fibers at an early stage of regeneration.

Methods: Regenerating fibers in adult rats were analyzed 2, 4, or 6 days after bupivacaine injection. Rats were heat stressed by immersion in water (42 ± 1°C) for 30 minutes 24 hours after bupivacaine injection and every other day thereafter.

Fasting-related autophagic response in slow- and fast-twitch skeletal muscle.

This study investigated regulation of autophagy in slow-twitch soleus and fast-twitch plantaris muscles in fasting-related atrophy. Male Fischer-344 rats were subjected to fasting for 1, 2, or 3 days. Greater weight loss was observed in plantaris muscle than in soleus muscle in response to fasting.

Differential cell death regulation between adult-unloaded and aged rat soleus muscle.

Sarcopenia is characterized by increased regenerating myofibres and decreased myofibre size. Sarcopenia progression might be partially regulated by ageing-related signals associated with necrotic fibre disruption and nuclear apoptosis. This study sought to identify ageing-related signals in aged atrophying skeletal muscle by comparison with unloaded muscle atrophy in adults.

Prolonged exercise training induces long-term enhancement of HSP70 expression in rat plantaris muscle.

Skeletal muscle may develop adaptive molecular chaperone enhancements as a potential defense system through repeated daily exercise stimulation. The present study investigated whether prolonged exercise training alters the expression of molecular chaperone proteins for the long term in skeletal muscle. Mature male Wistar rats were subjected for 8 wk to either a single bout of acute intermittent treadmill running (30 m/min, 5 min x 4, 5 degrees grade) or prolonged treadmill running training (15-40 m/min, 5 min x 4, 5-7 degrees grade).

Effects of T3 treatment on HSP72 and calcineurin content of functionally overloaded rat plantaris muscle.

The content of both heat shock protein 72 (HSP72) and calcineurin (CaN) in skeletal muscle fibers have been reported to be associated with the slow phenotype. The purpose of the present study was to determine the adaptations/contributions of HSP72 and CaN to experimental conditions producing dramatic shifts in fiber phenotype. Two weeks of functional overload (FO) of the rat plantaris by cutting the tendons of its major synergists resulted in a shift towards a slower MHC profile.

Calcineurin and heat shock protein 72 in functionally overloaded rat plantaris muscle.

The involvement of calcineurin (CaN) and heat shock protein (Hsp) 72 in the regulation of fiber size and/or phenotype in response to functional overload (FO) was investigated. In one FO group, the plantaris muscle was overloaded by cutting the distal tendons (5-10 mm length) of the soleus and gastrocnemius of 3-week-old male Wistar rats. Cyclosporin A (CsA), a CaN inhibitor, was injected daily (5 mg/kg body weight, i.

Calcineurin and heat-shock proteins modulation in clenbuterol-induced hypertrophied rat skeletal muscles.

To examine the changes in heat shock proteins (HSPs) and calcineurin (CaN), a calcium/calmodulin regulated protein phosphatase, in hypertrophied rat skeletal muscles, adult male Wistar rats were administered clenbuterol (CLB, 30 mg l(-1) in drinking water), a beta 2-agonist, for 4 weeks. Compared to controls, CLB-treated rats had significantly larger body (10%) and relative (to body weight) soleus (Sol, 16%), plantaris (Plt, 32%) and gastrocnemius (Gast, 27%) weights. Immunohistochemically classified fast fibers were hypertrophied in the Sol (64%), Plt (62%), and deep (d, 70%) and superficial (s, 44%) regions of the Gast, whereas slow fibers were hypertrophied only in the Plt (47%).

Endogenous expression and developmental changes of HSP72 in rat skeletal muscles.

The purpose of the present study was to determine whether endogenous factor(s) contributes to the expression of heat shock proteins (HSPs) during the early developmental stages of rat skeletal muscles. HSP72 was expressed in both the soleus and plantaris muscles at embryonic day 22 (E22). On the basis of myosin heavy chain (MHC) immunohistochemistry, HSP72 was specifically expressed in slow type I fibers in both muscles.