Chemical constituents in ethyl acetate and butanol fractions of ethanol extracts from Acorus tatarinowii were separated by column chromatography. Bufo skeletal muscle fatigue model was established to study the anti-fatigue activity of separated compounds. Five compounds were separated and identified by spectroscopic analysis as acoramone(1),cycloartenone(2),2,4,5-trimethoxyl-2'-butoxy-1,2-phenyl propandiol(3),5-hydroxymethyl furfural(4), and 5-butoxymethyl furfural(5). Compound 3 was a new compound, and compounds 2 and 5 were separated from this plant for the first time. Compound 4 exhibited a notable anti-fatigue activity.
Acorus ; chemistry ; Animals ; Bufonidae ; Fatigue ; drug therapy ; Muscle, Skeletal ; drug effects ; Plant Extracts ; chemistry ; pharmacology

OBJECTIVETo investigate the expression pattern of resistin (RSTN) in skeletal muscle tissue and its influence on glycometabolism in rats with traumatic brain injury (TBI).

METHODSSeventy-eight SD rats were randomly divided into traumatic group (n=36), RSTN group (n=36) and sham operation group (n=6). Fluid percussion TBI model was developed in traumatic and RSTN groups and the latter received additional 1 mg RSTN antibody treatment for each rat. At respectively 12 h, 24 h, 72 h, 1 w, 2 w, and 4 w after operation, venous blood was collected and the right hind leg skeletal muscle tissue was sampled. We used real-time PCR to determine mRNA expression of RSTN in skeletal muscles, western blot to determine RSTN protein expression and ELISA to assess serum insulin as well as fasting blood glucose (FBG) levels. Calculation of the quantitative insulin sensitivity check index (Q value) was also conducted. The above mentioned indicators and their correction were statistically analyzed.

RESULTSCompared with sham operation group, the RSTN expression in the skeletal muscle as well as serum insulin and FBG levels revealed significant elevation (P<0.05), and reduced Q value (P<0.05) in traumatic group. Single factor linear correlation analysis showed a significant negative correlation between RSTN expression and Q values (P<0.001) in traumatic group.

CONCLUSIONThe expression of RSTN has been greatly increased in the muscular tissue of TBI rats and it was closely related to the index of glycometabolism. RSTN may play an important role in the process of insulin resistance after TBI.

Animals ; Brain Injuries ; metabolism ; Glucose ; metabolism ; Insulin Resistance ; Male ; Muscle, Skeletal ; chemistry ; metabolism ; Rats, Sprague-Dawley ; Resistin ; analysis

We carried out experiments with B-scan technology, computer image processing technology and statistical analysis, to extract feature parameters from histogram of different organizations in order to establish prediction methods of the meat quality of pigs. We then Explored and solved the assessment problems of intramuscular fat (IMF) content, to provide reference standards of using ultrasound for the classification of pork.
Adipose Tissue ; diagnostic imaging ; Animals ; Meat ; analysis ; standards ; Muscle, Skeletal ; chemistry ; diagnostic imaging ; Quality Control ; Swine ; Ultrasonography

OBJECTIVETo study the effect of acupuncture on skeletal muscle endurance in rats as a pre-games assistant training.

METHODSThirty male SD rats were randomly divided into 3 groups: control, model and acupuncture group. Acupuncture group was treated at "Dazhui" (GV 14), "Housanli" (ST 36) by twisting mild reinforcing-reducing method for 20 min, no interventions were added on control and model group. Muscle strength was detected in three groups under anaesthetic (after model established in model group, after model established and treated in acupuncture group). Averaged change percentage of mean skeletal muscle endurance (P(m)) and averaged maximum percentage of skeletal muscle endurance (P(max)) were evaluated.

RESULTS(1) 10P(m) in model group decreased more than acupuncture group statistically (P < 0.05); 20P(m), 30P(m) and 40P(m) in model group decreased significantly compared to those in control group and acupuncture group (P < 0.05, P < 0.01). (2) Changes of 10P(max) in acupuncture group was much less than in model group (P < 0.05); changes of 20P(max), 30P(max), 40P(max) and 50P(max) decreased more in model group than in acupuncture group and control group (P < 0.01, P < 0.05).

CONCLUSIONAs an assistant training method, acupuncture can postpone descending point of muscle strength endurance to delay sport fatigue.

Acupuncture Therapy ; Animals ; Humans ; Kinetics ; Male ; Models, Animal ; Muscle, Skeletal ; chemistry ; physiology ; Physical Endurance ; Random Allocation ; Rats ; Rats, Sprague-Dawley

Strontium added into porous hydroxyaptite ceramics has the functions of improving its osseointegration, decreasing its dissolution rate and improving the bone density. Strontium-containing hydroxyaptite (Sr-HA) ceramics has been used as bone replacement and scaffold to treat the osteoporosis and bone default in clinic, but the mechanism of interfacial tissue response caused by the trace element Sr in Sr-HA ceramics still remains to be further studied. Four types of Sr-HA ceramic samples with different contents of Sr were prepared by microwave plasma sintering for testing the response of the soft tissue implanted in dog muscles in our laboratory. The contents of Sr element in the samples are 0 mol%, 1 mol%, 5 mol%, and 7 mol%, respectively. The samples were implanted in the muscle of the dogs for 4 weeks, 8 weeks and 12 weeks, respectively. The histological observations at the end of each period showed that the irritant ranking increased with the content of Sr in Sr-HA ceramics at the end of 12 weeks, and there were rich bone tissue in Sr-HA ceramic samples with 5 mol% Sr element. The overdose of element Sr is harmful to soft tissues. When the content of Sr in Sr-HA ceramic was below 5 mol%, the soft tissue response was very slight and the new bones were induced to grow well.
Animals ; Bone Substitutes ; chemical synthesis ; Ceramics ; chemical synthesis ; chemistry ; Dogs ; Durapatite ; chemical synthesis ; chemistry ; Female ; Male ; Muscle, Skeletal ; surgery ; Osseointegration ; physiology ; Porosity ; Prostheses and Implants ; Strontium ; chemistry ; Tissue Engineering

To investigate the influence of such individual factors as gender, age and tissues in vitro to the postmortem interval (PMI) by the Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) spectrometer in animal experiments. SD rats were classified into male and female groups, different age groups (21-day, 42-day and 63-day group), and tissues in vitro and in vivo groups. The rats were sacrificed by cervical dislocation, whose bodies were kept in a controlled environmental chamber set at (20+/-2) degrees C and 50% humidity. The liver, kidney, spleen, myocardium, brain, lung and skeletal muscle tissues were collected for measurement from time zero to 48 h postmortem. With the change of PMI, no obvious changes were found in the main FTIR absorbance peaks and their ratios at different time points. All the experimental groups showed no significant changes when compared with the controls. The gender, age and tissues in vitro were not found to be contributing factors in the estimation of PMI via FTIR spectroscopy.
Age Factors ; Animals ; Autopsy/methods* ; Brain Chemistry ; Female ; Forensic Pathology/methods* ; Kidney/chemistry* ; Linear Models ; Liver/chemistry* ; Male ; Muscle, Skeletal/chemistry* ; Myocardium/chemistry* ; Postmortem Changes ; Rats ; Rats, Sprague-Dawley ; Sex Factors ; Spectroscopy, Fourier Transform Infrared ; Time Factors

OBJECTIVETo explore the effect of puerarin injection on the amount of GLUT4 protein at the plasma membrane in insulin-resistant rat skeletal muscle.

METHODThe rat model of insulin resistance (IR) was made by being fed with high-fat diet. The animals were divided into three groups (ten in each group): group I: controls; group II: Insulin-resistant rats; group III: Insulin-resistant rats + Puerarin treatment. Insulin-resistant rats were injected with 100 mg puerarin injection per kg body weight through abdominal cavity once a day for 4 weeks. Fasting blood glucose and fasting serum insulin levels were measured before and after Puerarin treatment, respectively. Insulin treatment was achieved by intraperitoneal injection of insulin (1 unit insulin per kg body weight.) 15 minute before killing the animals. The right hindlimb skeletal muscle was rapidly dissected. Then the expression of GLUT4 protein at the plasma membrane in all the animals was assessed with Western blot method.

RESULTThe GLUT4 content at the plasma membrane in insulin-resistant rats skeletal muscle was significantly lower (about 31%) than that of controls (P < 0.01). Puerarin Injection partly corrected fasting blood glucose (from 6.17 +/- 0.67 mmol x L(-1) to 5.54 +/- 0.35 mmol x L(-1)) and fasting serum insulin levels (from 17.09 +/- 2.02 mU x L(-1) to 11.86 +/- 1.35 mU x L(-1)) and increased the GLUT4 content at the plasma membrane by 1.18-fold in insulin-resistant rats skeletal muscle.

CONCLUSIONPuerarin Injection can ameliorate IR, and the mechanism may be involved in increasing cell-surface level of GLUT4 through decreasing fasting blood glucose and fasting serum insulin levels, improving GLUT4 trafficking and intracellular insulin signaling.

Animals ; Cell Membrane ; metabolism ; Glucose Transporter Type 4 ; Injections ; Insulin Resistance ; Isoflavones ; administration & dosage ; isolation & purification ; pharmacology ; Male ; Monosaccharide Transport Proteins ; metabolism ; Muscle Proteins ; metabolism ; Muscle, Skeletal ; metabolism ; pathology ; Plants, Medicinal ; chemistry ; Pueraria ; chemistry ; Rats ; Rats, Sprague-Dawley

OBJECTIVETo investigate the effect of six cold traditional Chinese medicine on the energy metabolism factors in rats skeletal muscle.

METHODThe activity of Na(+)-K(+) -ATPase, Ca(2+) -ATPase and succinate dehydrogenase (SDH), the content of muscle glycogen, and the mRNA expression of skeletal muscle uncoupling protein 3 (UCP3) were measured after rats having been administrated with water extracts of Radix Sophorae Flavescentis, Fructus Gardeniae, Cortex Phellodendri, Radix Scutellariae, Rhizoma Coptidis, and Radix Gentianae respectively at the dose of 6.0, 7.0, 8.4, 6.0, 7.0, 4.0 g x kg(-1) for 30 days.

RESULTThe activity of Na(+) -K(+) -ATPase has been depressed significantly and the content of skeletal muscle glycogen has been increased remarkably by six cold traditional Chinese medicine. The decreased tendency has been found on activity of Ca(2+) -ATPase and SDH, only the Radix scutellariaeg group decreased the Ca(2+) -ATPase activity significantly (P < 0.05), the SDH activity was decreased high significantly by Radix scutellariae, Cortex Phellodendri, Radix Gentianae and significantly by Rhizoma Coptidis. The mRNA expression of UCP3 has been decreased high significantly by all five cold traditional Chinese medicine except Cortex Phellodendri group with the decreased tendency of UCP3 mRNA expression.

CONCLUSIONThe cold traditional Chinese medicine has the significant effects on the skeletal muscle energy metabolism by decreasing the utlization of the glucose and the activity of mitochondria SDH to reduce the production of ATP, and depressing the activity of Na(+)-K(+) -ATPase and Ca(2+) -ATPase to cut down the consumption of ATP, by decreasing the mRNA expression of UCP3 to decrease the heat production.

Animals ; Drugs, Chinese Herbal ; pharmacology ; Energy Metabolism ; drug effects ; Male ; Muscle, Skeletal ; drug effects ; metabolism ; Plants, Medicinal ; chemistry ; Random Allocation ; Rats ; Rats, Sprague-Dawley

OBJECTIVETo investigate the effects of exogenous basic fibroblast growth factor (bFGF) on the healing of strain injured skeletal muscles in rats.

METHODSEighteen male SD rats were randomly divided into three groups: no strain control group (C(on)), muscle strained and bFGF treated group (S(b)), or normal saline treated group (S(0)). The gastrocnemius of rats in the S(b) and S(0) groups was strained and the animals were treated with bFGF (200 AU/d) or normal saline for six days. Vimentin expression, an indicator of muscle fibrosis in injured muscles (expressed as integral optical density, IOD), was measured by immunohistochemistry.

RESULTSThe IOD of vimentin in the S(0) group [(24.29 +/- 7.91) x 10(3)] was higher than that in the C(on) group [(5.75 +/- 3.87) x 10(3)] (P < 0.01). The IOD of vimentin in bFGF treated group [(15.78 +/- 7.72) x 10(3)] was lower than that in the normal saline treated group (P < 0.01).

CONCLUSIONThe exogenous bFGF may facilitate the repair of muscle structure and function by reducing vimentin expression and fibrosis in strain injured muscles.

Animals ; Disease Models, Animal ; Fibroblast Growth Factor 2 ; pharmacology ; Immunohistochemistry ; Male ; Muscle, Skeletal ; chemistry ; drug effects ; injuries ; Random Allocation ; Rats ; Rats, Sprague-Dawley ; Sprains and Strains ; Vimentin ; analysis

Hypokalemic periodic paralysis (HOPP) is a rare disease characterized by reversible attacks of muscle weakness accompanied by episodic hypokalemia. Recent molecular work has revealed that the majority of familial HOPP is due to mutations in a skeletal muscle voltage-dependent calcium-channel: the dihydropyridine receptor. We report a 13-yr old boy with HOPP from a family in which 6 members are affected in three generations. Genetic examination identified a nucleotide 3705 C to G mutation in exon 30 of the calcium channel gene, CACNA1S. This mutation predicts a codon change from arginine to glycine at the amino acid position #1239 (R1239G). Among the three known mutations of the CACNA1S gene, the R1239G mutation was rarely reported. This boy and the other family members who did not respond to acetazolamide, showed a marked improvement of the paralytic symptoms after spironolactone treatment.
Acetazolamide/pharmacology ; Adolescent ; Arginine/chemistry ; Calcium Channels/chemistry/*genetics ; Codon ; Exons ; Family Health ; Female ; Glycine/chemistry ; Humans ; Hypokalemia/metabolism ; Hypokalemic Periodic Paralysis/*diagnosis/*genetics ; Korea ; Male ; Muscle, Skeletal/metabolism ; Mutation ; Pedigree ; Protein Structure, Tertiary ; Sequence Analysis, DNA ; Spironolactone/pharmacology