Skeletal muscle denervation causes muscle atrophy via complex molecular mechanisms that are not well understood. To better understand these mechanisms, we investigated how muscle denervation increases growth arrest and DNA damage-inducible 45α (Gadd45a) mRNA in skeletal muscle. Previous studies established that muscle denervation strongly induces Gadd45a mRNA, which increases Gadd45a, a small m...

Skeletal muscle atrophy is a significant health problem that results in decreased muscle size and function and has been associated with increases in oxidative stress. The molecular mechanisms that regulate muscle atrophy, however, are largely unknown. The metallothioneins (MT), a family of genes with antioxidant properties, have been found to be consistently upregulated during muscle atrophy, a...

BACKGROUND Interleukin-6 (IL-6) is an inflammatory cytokine. Whether systemic IL-6 affects atrogene expression and disuse-induced skeletal muscle atrophy is unclear. METHODS Tail-suspended mice were used as a disuse-induced muscle atrophy model. We administered anti-mouse IL-6 receptor antibody, beta-hydroxy-beta-methylbutyrate (HMB) and vitamin D to the mice and examined the effects on atrog...

Skeletal muscle atrophy attributable to muscular inactivity has significant adverse functional consequences. While the initiating physiological event leading to atrophy seems to be the loss of muscle tension and a good deal of the physiology of muscle atrophy has been characterized, little is known about the triggers or the molecular signaling events underlying this process. Decreases in protei...

Muscle inactivity due to injury or disease results in muscle atrophy. The molecular mechanisms contributing to muscle atrophy are poorly understood. However, it is clear that expression of atrophy-related genes, like Atrogin-1 and MuRF-1, are intimately tied to loss of muscle mass. When these atrophy-related genes are knocked out, inactive muscles retain mass. Muscle denervation stimulates musc...

Background: This review will describe the main cellular mechanisms involved in the reduction and increase of myoproteins synthesis commonly associated with muscle atrophy and hypertrophy, respectively. Objective: We analyzed the effects of electrical stimulation (ES) and stretching exercise on the molecular pathways involved in muscle atrophy and hypertrophy. We also described the main effects ...

24 25 Immobilization causes skeletal muscle atrophy via complex signaling pathways that are not well 26 understood. To better understand these pathways, we investigated the roles of p53 and ATF4, two 27 transcription factors that mediate adaptations to a variety of cellular stresses. Using mouse models, we 28 demonstrate that three days of muscle immobilization induces muscle atrophy and increa...

PURPOSE OF REVIEW Here, we discuss a recently developed experimental strategy for discovering small molecules with potential to prevent and treat skeletal muscle atrophy. RECENT FINDINGS Muscle atrophy involves and requires widespread changes in skeletal muscle gene expression, which generate complex but measurable patterns of positive and negative changes in skeletal muscle mRNA levels (a.k....