Early onset of the maximum protein anabolic effect induced by isoproterenol in chick skeletal and cardiac muscle

Prolonged (120 days) oral administration of a beta adrenoceptor agonist, isoproterenol hydrochloride (dose = 1.5 mg/kg body weight) resulted in an increase in the live weight of growing chicks (Callus domesticus). Measurement of dry muscle mass and total proteins in muscle homogenates from M. pectoralis major. M. petoralis minor suggested a muscle hypertrophy largely responsible for this live weight increase. Further, an increase in organ weight and total tissue proteins supported cardiac hypertrophy in chicks as a result of isoproterenol administration. Sodium dodecyl sulfate polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis (SDS-PAGE) revealed alterations in actin myosin profiles implying a drug induced change in phenotypic expression of myofibrillar component of both skeletal and cardiac muscle. The results suggest that prolonged treatment of chicks produced changes that were not much different from those recorded immediately within a fortnight.