This study was aimed to investigate the changes of muscle protein synthesis and degradation under different movement conditions, so as to provide theoretical basis for muscle atrophy mechanism. Sprague Dawley (SD) rats were randomly divided into control, endurance training (treadmill training), hind limb overhanging and eccentric training (treadmill training, angle -16º) groups. The gastrocnemius muscles of rats were taken and weighed. The muscle was sectioned, and HE staining was employed to determine the cell's cross-sectional area. Protein expression of p-Akt was measured by immunohistochemistry; and the expressions of MuRF1 and FoxO1 were determined by Western blot. The results showed that, compared with control group, hind limb overhanging and eccentric training groups exhibited decreased muscle weight and cross-sectional area, but endurance training group did not show any changes. The expressions of p-Akt in endurance and eccentric training groups, not in hind limb overhanging group, were significantly higher than that in control group. Compared with that of control, MuRF1 protein remained unchanged in endurance training groups, but was increased in eccentric training and hind limb overhanging groups; FoxO1 protein was decreased in endurance training group, but was increased in eccentric training and hind limb overhanging groups. These results indicate that movement (endurance and eccentric training) can activate Akt expression, but does not increase muscle weight, whereas eccentric training and hind limb overhanging can increase the expressions of MuRF1 and FoxO1, and induce amyotrophy, suggesting MuRF1 and FoxO1 are major determinant factors in muscle atrophy.
Animals ; Forkhead Transcription Factors ; physiology ; Hindlimb Suspension ; Muscle Proteins ; physiology ; Muscle, Skeletal ; physiology ; Muscular Atrophy ; physiopathology ; Nerve Tissue Proteins ; physiology ; Physical Conditioning, Animal ; Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-akt ; physiology ; Rats ; Rats, Sprague-Dawley ; Tripartite Motif Proteins ; Ubiquitin-Protein Ligases ; physiology

OBJECTIVETo investigate the effect of KyoT2 on the proliferation and migration of airway smooth muscle cells (ASMCs) in mice with asthma.

METHODSOvalbumin (OVA) was used to establish the asthmatic model of airway remodeling in BALB/c mice. ASMCs were isolated and cultured, and primarily cultured ASMCs were used as the control group. The expression of KyoT2 in ASMCs was measured in the control and asthma groups. After the ASMCs from asthmatic mice were transfected with pCMV-Myc (empty vector group) or pCMV-Myc-KyoT2 plasmid with overexpressed KyoT2 (KyoT2 expression group) for 48 hours, RT-PCR and Western blot were used to measure the mRNA and protein expression of KyoT2, the MTT assay and BrdU assay were used to measure the proliferation of ASMCs, and Transwell assay was used to measure the migration of ASMCs. Western blot was used to determine the effect of KyoT2 overexpression on the protein expression of RBP-Jκ, PTEN, and AKT.

RESULTSCompared with the control group, the asthma group had significantly downregulated expression of KyoT2 in ASMCs, and the KyoT2 expression group had significantly upregulated expression of KyoT2 in ASMCs (P<0.05). Compared with the empty vector group, overexpressed KyoT2 significantly inhibited cell proliferation and migration, downregulated the expression of RBP-Jκ and AKT, and upregulated the expression of PTEN.

CONCLUSIONSOverexpressed KyoT2 can inhibit the proliferation and migration of ASMCs through the negative regulation of RBP-Jκ/PTEN/AKT signaling pathway.

Animals ; Asthma ; pathology ; Cell Movement ; Cell Proliferation ; Female ; Intracellular Signaling Peptides and Proteins ; physiology ; LIM Domain Proteins ; physiology ; Mice ; Mice, Inbred BALB C ; Muscle Proteins ; physiology ; Myocytes, Smooth Muscle ; physiology ; PTEN Phosphohydrolase ; physiology ; Trachea ; pathology

The aim of the present study was to investigate the effects of exercises with different durations and intensities on mitochondrial autophagy and FUNDC1 in rat skeletal muscles. Sixty male Sprague-Dawley rats were randomly divided into 2- and 4-week control groups (Con), moderate-intensity exercise groups (M-ex groups, treadmill exercise, 16 m/min, 1 h/d, 6 d/week), and high-intensity exercise groups (Hi-ex groups, treadmill exercise, 35 m/min, 20 min/d, 6 d/week). The bilateral soleus muscles were separated after the intervention, and paraffin sections were prepared for transmission electron microscopy. ELISA method was used to detect the content of citrate synthase (CS). The co-localizations of microtubule-associated protein 1 light chain 3 (LC3)/cytochrome c oxidase IV (COX-IV), FUNDC1/COX-IV and LC3/FUNDC1 were observed by immunofluorescent staining in frozen sections. The skeletal muscle mitochondria were extracted, and the expression of autophagy-related proteins, including AMPKα, p-AMPKα, Unc-51 like kinase 1 (ULK1), FUNDC1, LC3 and p62, were detected by Western blot. The results showed that exercise increased mitochondrial function, i.e. peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor γ co-activator-1α (PGC-1α), COX-I protein expression levels and CS content. There was no difference of mitochondrial function parameters between 2-week M-ex and 2-week Hi-ex groups, while mitochondrial function of 4-weeks Hi-ex group was significantly lower than that of 4-week M-ex group. Under the same exercise intensity, mitochondrial autophagy activation in skeletal muscle of 4-week exercise was higher than that in 2-week exercise group; Under the same duration of exercise, mitochondrial autophagy activation of Hi-ex group was higher than that in M-ex group. Both 2- and 4-week exercise intervention increased LC3/COX-IV, COX-IV/FUNDC1, and FUNDC1/LC3 co-localizations. Exercise increased LC3-II/LC3-I ratio, down-regulated p62 protein expression level, up-regulated FUNDC1, ULK1 protein expression levels and AMPKα phosphorylation, and the changes of these proteins in 4-week Hi-ex group were significantly greater than those in 4-week M-ex group. These results suggest exercise induces mitochondrial autophagy in skeletal muscles, and the activity of autophagy is related to the duration and intensity of exercise. The induction mechanism of exercise may involve the mediation of FUNDC1 expression through AMPK-ULK1 pathway.
Animals ; Autophagy ; Exercise Therapy ; Humans ; Male ; Membrane Proteins/physiology* ; Mitochondria ; Mitochondrial Proteins/physiology* ; Muscle, Skeletal/metabolism* ; Rats ; Rats, Sprague-Dawley

BACKGROUNDHypoxic pulmonary hypertension (HPH) is initiated by inhibition of O2-sensitive, voltage-gated (Kv) channels in pulmonary arterial smooth muscle cells (PASMCs). The mechanism of hypoxic pulmonary hypertension has not yet been fully elucidated. The mitochondrial ATP-sensitive K+ channel (MitoKATP) is extremely sensitive to hypoxia, and is a decisive factor in the control of mitochondrial membrane potential (DeltaPsim). This study investigated the changes of cell membrane potential and Kv channel in cultured human pulmonary artery smooth muscle cell (hPASMC) exposed to 24 hour-hypoxia, and explored the role of MitoKATP and DeltaPsim in this condition.

METHODSFresh human lung tissues were obtained from the patients undergoing a chest operation. hPASMCs were isolated, cultured, and divided into 6 groups: (1) control group, cultured under normoxia; (2) diazoxide group, cultured in normoxia with diazoxide, an opener of MitoKATP; (3) 5-HD group, cultured in normoxia with sodium 5-hydroxydecanoate (5-HD), an antagonist of MitoKATP; (4) 24 hour-hypoxia group; (5) 24 hour-hypoxia + diazoxide group; and (6) 24 hour-hypoxia + 5HD group. Whole-cell patch-clamp technique was used to trace the cell membrane K+ currents. The expressions of cell membrane Kv1.5 mRNA and protein were determined by RT-PCR and Western blot technique, respectively. The relative changes in mitochondrial potential were tested with rhodamine fluorescence (R-123) technique.

RESULTSAfter exposure to diazoxide for 24 hours, the intensity of R-123 fluorescence in normoxic hPASMCs was significantly increased compared with control group (P < 0.05), but there were no significant changes in these tests after the hPASMCs had been exposed to 5-HD for 24 hours. Twenty-four hour-hypoxia or 24 hour-hypoxia + diazoxide could markedly increase the intensity of R-123 fluorescence in hPASMC and the changes were more significant in 24 hour-hypoxia +diazoxide group than in 24 hour-hypoxia group (P < 0.05) although 5-HD could partly weaken the effect of 24 hour-hypoxia on the intensity of R-123 fluorescence. After exposure to diazoxide for 24 hours, the cell membrane K+ currents and the expression of cell membrane Kv1.5 mRNA and protein in normoxic hPASMCs were significantly decreased compared with control group (P < 0.05), but there were no significant changes in these tests after the hPASMCs had been exposed to 5-HD for 24 hours. Also, 24 hour-hypoxia or 24 hour-hypoxia + diazoxide decreased the cell membrane K+ currents and the expression of Kv1.5 mRNA and protein (P < 0.05) but the changes were more significant in 24 hour-hypoxia + diazoxide group than in 24 hour-hypoxia group (P < 0.05). Again, 5-HD could partly weaken the inhibitory effect of 24 hour-hypoxia on the cell membrane K+ currents and the expression of Kv1.5 mRNA or protein (P < 0.05).

CONCLUSIONSThe opening of MitoKATP followed by a depolarization of DeltaPsim in hypoxia might contribute to the alterations in the expression of cell membrane Kv1.5 mRNA and protein leading to change in the cell membrane potential of hypoxic hPASMCs. This might be a mechanism of the development of hypoxic pulmonary hypertension.

Cell Hypoxia ; Cells, Cultured ; Diazoxide ; pharmacology ; Humans ; Membrane Potentials ; Membrane Proteins ; physiology ; Mitochondria ; physiology ; Muscle, Smooth, Vascular ; cytology ; Myocytes, Smooth Muscle ; physiology ; Potassium Channels ; Potassium Channels, Voltage-Gated ; physiology ; Pulmonary Artery ; cytology ; physiology

Duchenne muscular dystrophy (DMD) is a dystrophinopathy, and its associated gene is located on Xp21. Moreover, utrophin, a recently identified structural homologue of dystrophin is reported to be up-regulated in DMD. In order to investigate the association between utrophin and muscle regeneration in DMD, an immunohistochemical study using antibodies to utrophin, dystrophin, vimentin and desmin was carried out in 17 cases of DMD, 3 cases of polymyositis and 1 case of dermatomyositis. Dystrophin was negative in almost all cases of DMD, but positive in all cases of inflammatory myopathy (IM). Utrophin was positive in 94.0% of DMD and in 75.0% of IM. 36.4% of the myofibers were positive in DMD, as compared to 10.5% in IM (p=0.001). In both groups, utrophin positivity was present most commonly in small regenerating fibers (p=0.001, 0.013). Vimentin and desmin were intensely positive in regenerating fibers in all cases of DMD and IM. 34.4% and 35.4% of myofibers were positive for vimentin and desmin in DMD, as compared to 21.8% and 20.9% in IM (p=0.001, 0.001). In both groups, vimentin and desmin positivity were present most commonly in small regenerating fibers (p=0.001, 0.001). The staining intensities of utrophin, vimentin and desmin were also higher in small regenerating fibers. These results show that utrophin up-regulation is regeneration-associated, and that it is proportional to the quantity of regenerating myofibers, but is not specific for DMD.
Adolescent ; Adult ; Child ; Child, Preschool ; Cytoskeletal Proteins/*metabolism ; Female ; Human ; Infant ; Male ; Membrane Proteins/*metabolism ; Middle Aged ; Muscle Fibers/*physiology ; Muscle, Skeletal/*physiopathology ; Muscular Dystrophy, Duchenne/*physiopathology ; *Regeneration

PURPOSE: MicroRNAs are small non-coding RNAs that play important roles in vascular smooth muscle cell (VSMC) function. This study investigated the role of miR-379 on proliferation, invasion, and migration of VSMCs and explored underlying mechanisms thereof. MATERIALS AND METHODS: MicroRNA, mRNA, and protein levels were determined by quantitative real-time PCR and western blot. The proliferative, invasive, and migratory abilities of VSMCs were measured by CCK-8, invasion, and wound healing assay, respectively. Luciferase reporter assay was used to confirm the target of miR-379. RESULTS: Platelet-derived growth factor-bb was found to promote cell proliferation and suppress miR-379 expression in VSMCs. Functional assays demonstrated that miR-379 inhibited cell proliferation, cell invasion, and migration. Flow cytometry results further showed that miR-379 induced apoptosis in VSMCs. TargetScan analysis and luciferase report assay confirmed that insulin-like growth factor-1 (IGF-1) 3'UTR is a direct target of miR-379, and mRNA and protein levels of miR-379 and IGF-1 were inversely correlated. Rescue experiments showed that enforced expression of IGF-1 sufficiently overcomes the inhibitory effect of miR-379 on cell proliferation, invasion, and migration in VSMCs. CONCLUSION: Our results suggest that miR-379 plays an important role in regulating VSMCs proliferation, invasion, and migration by targeting IGF-1.
Apoptosis ; Cell Movement/*physiology ; Cell Proliferation/*physiology ; Humans ; Insulin ; Insulin-Like Growth Factor I/*physiology ; MicroRNAs/*physiology ; Muscle, Smooth, Vascular/*cytology ; Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-sis/*physiology ; RNA, Messenger/metabolism ; Real-Time Polymerase Chain Reaction ; Sincalide/physiology ; Wound Healing/physiology

AIMTo investigate the interaction between C-terminal domains of SM22alpha and cytoskeleton F-actin.

METHODSProkaryotic expression vector containing SM22alpha cDNA and GST sequence was constructed. The induction conditions were optimized to increase the product of soluble GST-SM22alpha fusion protein in E coli. Expression products were purified and rabbit anti-GST-SM22alpha polyclonal antibody was produced by the purified fusion protein. In order to explore the effect of SM22alpha on cytoskeleton reorganization, VSMCs were treated with serum withdrawal and then serum stimulation to induce contractile/synthetic phenotypic modulation. SM22alpha protein distribution in F-actin/G-actin fractions was detected by Western blotting. The interaction between SM22alpha and actin was examined by GST pull down assay and coimmunoprecipitation. Colocalization of endogenous SM22alpha with F-actin was observed by immunofluorescence.

RESULTSThe results showed that the expression of soluble GST-SM22alpha protein was the highest under condition induced by 30 degrees C, 0.5 mmol/L IPTG for 6 h. Immunofluorescence and Western blotting of protein extracts from F-actin/G-actin fractions revealed that SM22alpha colocalized with F-actin during VSMC redifferentiation. GST pull down assay and coimmunoprecipitation showed that SM22alpha interacted with F-actin by C-terminal domains to participate in cytoskeleton reorganization.

CONCLUSIONThe recombinant SM22alpha C-terminal domains have the ability to bind F-actin, by which SM22alpha interacts with actin and participates in cytoskeleton reorganization.

Actins ; metabolism ; Amino Acid Sequence ; Animals ; Cell Line ; Cytoskeleton ; metabolism ; physiology ; Microfilament Proteins ; genetics ; Molecular Sequence Data ; Muscle Proteins ; genetics ; Muscle, Smooth, Vascular ; cytology ; metabolism ; Myocytes, Smooth Muscle ; metabolism ; Protein Binding ; Rats ; Rats, Sprague-Dawley ; Recombinant Proteins ; genetics

Cell Line ; Cyclic Nucleotide-Gated Cation Channels ; physiology ; Humans ; Hyperpolarization-Activated Cyclic Nucleotide-Gated Channels ; Ion Channels ; physiology ; Membrane Potentials ; Muscle Proteins ; physiology ; Potassium Channels

Sarcolipin (SLN) is a 3 kD membrane protein found in sarcoplasmic reticulum (SR). It has 31 amino acid residues; SLN and phopholamban (PLB) are belong to the same protein family, so they have similar physiological functions. SLN inhibits sarcoplasmic reticulum Ca(2+) ATPase (SERCA) activity and reduces its affinity of Ca(2+), resulting in dysfunction of myocardial contraction and heart failure. However, much remains to be elucidated. SLN independently or in conjunction with PLB affects SERCA activity, imbalancing intracellular calcium homeostasis, and reducing myocardial contractivity; these effects promote the development of heart failure.
Animals ; Calcium-Binding Proteins ; physiology ; Heart Failure ; physiopathology ; Humans ; Muscle Proteins ; metabolism ; physiology ; Myocardial Contraction ; physiology ; Proteolipids ; metabolism ; physiology ; Sarcoplasmic Reticulum ; metabolism ; Sarcoplasmic Reticulum Calcium-Transporting ATPases ; antagonists & inhibitors ; metabolism

OBJECTIVEMuscle contraction may prompt glucose uptake through non-insulin-dependent ways, and it may be due to the enhanced activation of key proteins known to regulate glucose metabolism, like p38 and Akt. Our experiment focused on the impact of different contraction modes on the phosphorylation of the molecules, thus to explore effective ways to lower blood glucose.

METHODSIsolated muscle strips perfusion technique and Western blot analysis were employed to investigate the influence of different modes of contraction on the activation of the molecules.

RESULTSMuscle contraction led to an increase in p38 phosphorylation, with the greatest effect observed after 5 minutes of 10% DC (duty cycle) contraction and 5 minutes of 1% DC contraction. However, phosphorylation of Akt were not altered by the two contraction modes.

CONCLUSIONThe level of phosphorylation of p38 was higher at the optimal contraction modes, but these modes could not increase the level of phosphorlation of Akt.

Animals ; Glucose ; metabolism ; In Vitro Techniques ; Male ; Muscle Contraction ; physiology ; Muscle, Skeletal ; physiology ; Phosphatidylinositol 3-Kinases ; metabolism ; Phosphorylation ; Physical Conditioning, Animal ; physiology ; Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-akt ; metabolism ; Rats ; Rats, Sprague-Dawley ; p38 Mitogen-Activated Protein Kinases ; metabolism