Heat stress attenuates skeletal muscle atrophy in hindlimb-unweighted rats.

This study tested the hypothesis that elevation of heat stress proteins by whole body hyperthermia is associated with a decrease in skeletal muscle atrophy induced by reduced contractile activity (i.e. , hindlimb unweighting). Female adult rats (6 mo old) were assigned to one of four experimental groups (n = 10/group): 1) sedentary control (Con), 2) heat stress (Heat), 3) hindlimb unweighting (HLU), or 4) heat stress before hindlimb unweighting (Heat+HLU). Animals in the Heat and Heat+HLU groups were exposed to 60 min of hyperthermia (colonic temperature approximately 41.6 degrees C). Six hours after heat stress, both the HLU and Heat+HLU groups were subjected to hindlimb unweighting for 8 days. After hindlimb unweighting, the animals were anesthetized, and the soleus muscles were removed, weighed, and analyzed for protein content and the relative levels of heat shock protein 72 (HSP72). Compared with control and HLU animals, the relative content of HSP72 in the soleus muscle was significantly elevated (P < 0.05) in both the Heat and Heat+HLU animals. Although hindlimb unweighting resulted in muscle atrophy in both the HLU and Heat+HLU animals, the loss of muscle weight and protein content was significantly less (P < 0.05) in the Heat+HLU animals. These data demonstrate that heat stress before hindlimb unweighting can reduce the rate of disuse muscle atrophy. We postulate that HSP70 and/or other stress proteins play a role in the control of muscle atrophy induced by reduced contractile activity.     

Glycogen synthase kinase-3β is required for the induction of skeletal muscle atrophy

Skeletal muscle atrophy commonly occurs in acute and chronic disease. The expression of the muscle-specific E3 ligases atrogin-1 (MAFbx) and muscle RING finger 1 (MuRF1) is induced by atrophy stimuli such as glucocorticoids or absence of IGF-I/insulin and subsequent Akt signaling. We investigated whether glycogen synthase kinase-3β (GSK-3β), a downstream molecule in IGF-I/Akt signaling, is required for basal and atrophy stimulus-induced expression of atrogin-1 and MuRF1, and myofibrillar protein loss in C(2)C(12) skeletal myotubes. Abrogation of basal IGF-I signaling, using LY294002, resulted in a prominent induction of atrogin-1 and MuRF1 mRNA and was accompanied by a loss of myosin heavy chain fast (MyHC-f) and myosin light chains 1 (MyLC-1) and -3 (MyLC-3). The synthetic glucocorticoid dexamethasone (Dex) also induced the expression of both atrogenes and likewise resulted in the loss of myosin protein abundance. Genetic ablation of GSK-3β using small interfering RNA resulted in specific sparing of MyHC-f, MyLC-1, and MyLC-3 protein levels after Dex treatment or impaired IGF-I/Akt signaling. Interestingly, loss of endogenous GSK-3β suppressed both basal and atrophy stimulus-induced atrogin-1 and MuRF1 expression, whereas pharmacological GSK-3β inhibition, using CHIR99021 or LiCl, only reduced atrogin-1 mRNA levels in response to LY294002 or Dex. In conclusion, our data reveal that myotube atrophy and myofibrillar protein loss are GSK-3β dependent, and demonstrate for the first time that basal and atrophy stimulus-induced atrogin-1 mRNA expression requires GSK-3β enzymatic activity, whereas MuRF1 expression depends solely on the physical presence of GSK-3β.     

Dosing schedule-dependent attenuation of dexamethasone-induced muscle atrophy in mice

Many inflammatory and autoimmune diseases are treated using synthetic glucocorticoids. However, excessive glucocorticoid can often cause unpredictable effects including muscle atrophy. Endogenous glucocorticoid levels robustly fluctuate in a circadian manner and peak just before the onset of the active phase in both humans and nocturnal rodents. The present study determines whether muscle atrophy induced by exogenous glucocorticoid can be avoided by optimizing dosing times. We administered single daily doses of the glucocorticoid analog dexamethasone (Dex) to mice for 10 days at the times of day corresponding to peak (early night) or trough (early morning) endogenous glucocorticoid levels. Administration at the acrophase of endogenous glucocorticoids significantly attenuated Dex-induced wasting of the gastrocnemius (Ga) and tibialis anterior (TA) muscles that comprise mostly fast-twitch muscle fibers. Real-time RT-PCR revealed that the Dex-induced mRNA expression of genes encoding the atrophy-related ubiquitin ligases Muscle Atrophy F-box (Fbxo32, also known as MAFbx/Atrogin-1) and Muscle RING finger 1 (Trim63, also known as MuRF1) in the Ga and TA muscles was significantly attenuated by Dex when administered during the early night. Dex negligibly affected the weight of the soleus (So) muscle that mostly comprises slow-twitch muscle fibers, but significantly and similarly decreased the weight of the spleen at both dosing times. These results suggest that glucocorticoid-induced muscle atrophy can be attenuated by optimizing the dosing schedule.     

Dexamethasone-induced autophagy mediates muscle atrophy through mitochondrial clearance

Glucocorticoids, such as dexamethasone, enhance protein breakdown via ubiquitin–proteasome system. However, the role of autophagy in organelle and protein turnover in the glucocorticoid-dependent atrophy program remains unknown. Here, we show that dexamethasone stimulates an early activation of autophagy in L6 myotubes depending on protein kinase, AMPK, and glucocorticoid receptor activity. Dexamethasone increases expression of several autophagy genes, including ATG5, LC3, BECN1, and SQSTM1 and triggers AMPK-dependent mitochondrial fragmentation associated with increased DNM1L protein levels. This process is required for mitophagy induced by dexamethasone. Inhibition of mitochondrial fragmentation by Mdivi-1 results in disrupted dexamethasone-induced autophagy/mitophagy. Furthermore, Mdivi-1 increases the expression of genes associated with the atrophy program, suggesting that mitophagy may serve as part of the quality control process in dexamethasone-treated L6 myotubes. Collectively, these data suggest a novel role for dexamethasone-induced autophagy/mitophagy in the regulation of the muscle atrophy program.     

Protective Effects of Clenbuterol against Dexamethasone-Induced Masseter Muscle Atrophy and Myosin Heavy Chain Transition

Background

Glucocorticoid has a direct catabolic effect on skeletal muscle, leading to muscle atrophy, but no effective pharmacotherapy is available. We reported that clenbuterol (CB) induced masseter muscle hypertrophy and slow-to-fast myosin heavy chain (MHC) isoform transition through direct muscle β2-adrenergic receptor stimulation. Thus, we hypothesized that CB would antagonize glucocorticoid (dexamethasone; DEX)-induced muscle atrophy and fast-to-slow MHC isoform transition.

Methodology

We examined the effect of CB on DEX-induced masseter muscle atrophy by measuring masseter muscle weight, fiber diameter, cross-sectional area, and myosin heavy chain (MHC) composition. To elucidate the mechanisms involved, we used immunoblotting to study the effects of CB on muscle hypertrophic signaling (insulin growth factor 1 (IGF1) expression, Akt/mammalian target of rapamycin (mTOR) pathway, and calcineurin pathway) and atrophic signaling (Akt/Forkhead box-O (FOXO) pathway and myostatin expression) in masseter muscle of rats treated with DEX and/or CB.

Results and Conclusion

Masseter muscle weight in the DEX-treated group was significantly lower than that in the Control group, as expected, but co-treatment with CB suppressed the DEX-induced masseter muscle atrophy, concomitantly with inhibition of fast-to-slow MHC isoforms transition. Activation of the Akt/mTOR pathway in masseter muscle of the DEX-treated group was significantly inhibited compared to that of the Control group, and CB suppressed this inhibition. DEX also suppressed expression of IGF1 (positive regulator of muscle growth), and CB attenuated this inhibition. Myostatin protein expression was unchanged. CB had no effect on activation of the Akt/FOXO pathway. These results indicate that CB antagonizes DEX-induced muscle atrophy and fast-to-slow MHC isoform transition via modulation of Akt/mTOR activity and IGF1 expression. CB might be a useful pharmacological agent for treatment of glucocorticoid-induced muscle atrophy.     

The microRNA expression profile in porcine skeletal muscle is changed by constant heat stress

Heat stress has profound effects on animal performance and muscle function, and microRNAs (miRNAs) play a critical role in muscle development and stress responses. To characterize the changes in miRNAs in skeletal muscle responding to heat stress, the miRNA expression profiles of longissimus dorsi muscles of pigs raised under constant heat stress (30 °C; n = 8) or control temperature (22 °C; n = 8) for 21 days were analyzed by Illumina deep sequencing. A total of 58 differentially expressed miRNAs were identified with 30 down‐regulated and 28 up‐regulated, and 63 differentially expressed target genes were predicted by miRNA–mRNA joint analysis. GO and KEGG analyses showed that the genes regulated by differentially expressed miRNAs were enriched in glucose metabolism, cytoskeletal structure and function and stress response. Real‐time PCR showed that the mRNA levels of PDK4, HSP90 and DES were significantly increased, whereas those of SCD and LDHA significantly decreased by heat exposure. The protein levels of CALM1, DES and HIF1α were also significantly increased by constant heat. These results demonstrated that the change in miRNA expression in porcine longissimus dorsi muscle underlies the changes in muscle structure and metabolism in porcine skeletal muscle affected by constant heat stress.     

Dexamethasone leads to Zn2+ accumulation and increased unbound Zn2+ in C2C12 muscle and 3T3-L1 adipose cells

Skeletal muscle atrophy is associated with increases in circulating glucocorticoid levels and insulin resistance. Zinc accumulates in atrophic muscle, but the relationship between atrophy, insulin resistance, and Zn²⁺ homeostasis remains unclear. In this study, the effect of the glucocorticoid dexamethasone (DEX) on insulin and Zn²⁺ homeostasis was explored. Treatment of differentiated C2C12 skeletal myotubes and 3T3-L1 adipocytes with DEX significantly increased mRNA expression of the metal-binding proteins Mt1 and 2 and altered energy storage as shown by the increased size of lipid droplets in 3T3-L1 cells. In C2C12 cells the total cellular Zn²⁺ was higher after DEX treatment, and in both C2C12 and 3T3-L1 adipocytes, free unbound Zn²⁺ was increased. Insulin treatment led to a gradual increase in free Zn²⁺ in C2C12 cells, and no significant change in DEX-treated cells such that concentrations were similar 10 min after insulin treatment. These data demonstrate that DEX disturbs Zn²⁺ homeostasis in muscle and fat cells. Further study of the molecular pathways involved to identify novel therapeutic targets for treatment of skeletal muscle atrophy is warranted.     

Testosterone protects against dexamethasone-induced muscle atrophy, protein degradation and MAFbx upregulation

Administration of glucocorticoids in pharmacological amounts results in muscle atrophy due, in part, to accelerated degradation of muscle proteins by the ubiquitin-proteasome pathway. The ubiquitin ligase MAFbx is upregulated during muscle loss including that caused by glucocorticoids and has been implicated in accelerated muscle protein catabolism during such loss. Testosterone has been found to reverse glucocorticoid-induced muscle loss due to prolonged glucocorticoid administration. Here, we tested the possibility that testosterone would block muscle loss, upregulation of MAFbx, and protein catabolism when begun at the time of glucocorticoid administration. Coadministration of testosterone to male rats blocked dexamethasone-induced reduction in gastrocnemius muscle mass and upregulation of MAFbx mRNA levels. Administration of testosterone together with dexamethasone also prevented glucocorticoid-induced upregulation of MAFbx mRNA levels and protein catabolism in C2C12 myotube expressing the androgen receptor. Half-life of MAFbx was not altered by testosterone, dexamethasone or the combination. Testosterone blocked dexamethasone-induced increases in activity of the human MAFbx promotor. The findings indicate that administration testosterone prevents glucocorticoid-induced muscle atrophy and suggest that this results, in part at least, from reductions in muscle protein catabolism and expression of MAFbx.     

Glucocorticoid amplifies vasopressin-induced phosphoinositide hydrolysis in aortic smooth muscle cells

It has been reported that glucocorticoid modifies phosphoinositide (PI) hydrolysis stimulated by vasoactive agents in vascular smooth muscle cells. In the present study, we investigated the point at which glucocorticoid affects vasopressin-induced PI hydrolysis in primary cultured rat aortic smooth muscle cells. The pretreatment with dexamethasone significantly amplified the formation of inositol trisphosphate (IP₃) induced by vasopressin in a dose-dependent manner in a range of 1 pM to 10 nM. The effect of dexamethasone was dependent on the time of pretreatment up to 8 h. Dexamethasone had little effect on the number of vasopressin receptor and its affinity to vasopressin. The pretreatment with dexamethasone also amplified the formation of IP₃ induced by NaF, a GTP-binding protein activator, or angiotensin II. 12-O-Tetradecanoylphorbol-13-acetate, a protein kinase C (PKC)-activating phorbol ester, significantly reduced the dexamethasone-induced enhancement of IP₃ formation stimulated by vasopressin, angiotensin II or NaF. 4α-Phorbol-12, 13-didecanoate, a PKC-nonactivating phorbol ester, had little effect on the enhancement by dexamethasone. These results strongly suggest that glucocorticoid amplifies vasopressin-induced PI hydrolysis at a point downstream from GTP-binding protein in primary cultured rat aortic smooth muscle cells, and that the activation of PKC has a negative feedback effect on the amplification by glucocorticoid of vasopressin-induced PI hydrolysis.     

Sepsis downregulates myostatin mRNA levels without altering myostatin protein levels in skeletal muscle

Myostatin is a negative regulator of muscle mass and has been reported to be upregulated in several conditions characterized by muscle atrophy. The influence of sepsis on myostatin expression and activity is poorly understood. Here, we tested the hypothesis that sepsis upregulates the expression and downstream signaling of myostatin in skeletal muscle. Because sepsis‐induced muscle wasting is at least in part regulated by glucocorticoids, we also determined the influence of glucocorticoids on myostatin expression. Sepsis was induced in rats by cecal ligation and puncture and control rats were sham‐operated. In other experiments, rats were injected intraperitoneally with dexamethasone (10 mg/kg) or corresponding volume of vehicle. Surprisingly, myostatin mRNA levels were reduced and myostatin protein levels were unchanged in muscles from septic rats. Muscle levels of activin A, follistatin, and total and phosphorylated Smad2 (p‐Smad2) were not influenced by sepsis, suggesting that myostatin downstream signaling was not altered during sepsis. Interestingly, total and p‐Smad3 levels were increased in septic muscle, possibly reflecting altered signaling through pathways other than myostatin. Similar to sepsis, treatment of rats with dexamethasone reduced myostatin mRNA levels and did not alter myostatin protein levels. Fasting, an additional condition characterized by muscle wasting, reduced myostatin mRNA and activin A protein levels, increased myostatin protein, and did not influence follistatin and p‐Smad2 levels. Of note, total and p‐Smad3 levels were reduced in muscle during fasting. The results suggest that sepsis and glucocorticoids do not upregulate the expression and activity of myostatin in skeletal muscle. The role of myostatin may vary between different conditions characterized by muscle wasting. Downstream signaling through Smad2 and 3 is probably regulated not only by myostatin but by other mechanisms as well. J. Cell. Biochem. 111: 1059–1073, 2010. © 2010 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.     

Dexamethasone represses signaling through the mammalian target of rapamycin in muscle cells by enhancing expression of REDD1

The mammalian target of rapamycin (mTOR), a critical modulator of cell growth, acts to integrate signals from hormones, nutrients, and growth-promoting stimuli to downstream effector mechanisms involved in the regulation of protein synthesis. Dexamethasone, a synthetic glucocorticoid that represses protein synthesis, acts to inhibit mTOR signaling as assessed by reduced phosphorylation of the downstream targets S6K1 and 4E-BP1. Dexamethasone has also been shown in one study to up-regulate the expression of REDD1 (also referred to RTP801, a novel stress-induced gene linked to repression of mTOR signaling) in lymphoid, but not nonlymphoid, cells. In contrast to the findings of that study, here we demonstrate that REDD1, but not REDD2, mRNA expression is dramatically induced following acute dexamethasone treatment both in rat skeletal muscle in vivo and in L6 myoblasts in culture. In L6 myoblasts, the effect of the drug on mTOR signaling is efficiently blunted in the presence of REDD1 RNA interference oligonucleotides. Moreover, the dexamethasone-induced assembly of the mTOR regulatory complex Tuberin.Hamartin is disrupted in L6 myoblasts following small interfering RNA-mediated repression of REDD1 expression. Finally, overexpression of Rheb, a downstream target of Tuberin function and a positive upstream effector of mTOR, reverses the effect of dexamethasone on phosphorylation of mTOR substrates. Overall, the data support the conclusion that REDD1 functions upstream of Tuberin and Rheb to down-regulate mTOR signaling in response to dexamethasone.