scholarly journals Increased myogenic repressor Id mRNA and protein levels in hindlimb muscles of aged rats

2002 ◽  
Vol 282 (2) ◽  
pp. R411-R422 ◽  
Author(s):  
Stephen E. Alway ◽  
Hans Degens ◽  
Dawn A. Lowe ◽  
Gururaj Krishnamurthy

The objective of this study was to determine if levels of repressors to myogenic regulatory factors (MRFs) differ between muscles from young adult and aged animals. Total RNA from plantaris, gastrocnemius, and soleus muscles of Fischer 344 × Brown Norway rats aged 9 mo (young adult, n = 10) and 37 mo (aged, n = 10) was reverse transcribed and then amplified by PCR. To obtain a semiquantitative measure of the mRNA levels, PCR signals were normalized to cyclophilin or 18S signals from the corresponding reverse transcription product. Normalization to cyclophilin and 18S gave similar results. The mRNA levels of MyoD and myogenin were ∼275–650% ( P < 0.001) and ∼500–1,100% ( P < 0.001) greater, respectively, in muscles from aged compared with young adults. In contrast, the protein levels were lower in plantaris and gastrocnemius muscles and similar in the soleus muscle of aged vs. young adult rats. Id repressor mRNA levels were ∼300–900% greater in fast and slow muscles of aged animals ( P ≤ 0.02), and Mist 1 mRNA was ∼50% greater in the plantaris and gastrocnemius muscles ( P< 0.01). The mRNA level of Twist mRNA was not significantly affected by aging. Id-1, Id-2, and Id-3 protein levels were ∼17–740% greater ( P < 0.05) in hindlimb muscles of aged rats compared with young adult rats. The elevated levels of Id mRNA and protein suggest that MRF repressors may play a role in gene regulation of fast and slow muscles in aged rats.

2004 ◽  
Vol 96 (6) ◽  
pp. 2257-2264 ◽  
Author(s):  
Russell T. Hepple ◽  
Janis E. Vogell

The anatomic size of the capillary-to-fiber (C/F) interface plays an important role in O2 flux from blood to tissue by determining the surface area available for diffusion and is maintained in relative proportion to fiber mitochondrial volume across a wide range of muscle aerobic capacity. In the present study, we examined an estimate of the anatomic size of the C/F interface [the quotient of the individual C/F ratio and fiber perimeter, C/F perimeter exchange (CFPE) index] and fiber oxidative capacity in different skeletal muscles, or muscle regions, to test the hypothesis that capillarization would be maintained in relative excess of reduced fiber oxidative capacity in aged muscles. The right gastrocnemius, plantaris, and soleus muscles from young adult (8 mo old) and late middle-aged (28–30 mo old) Fischer 344 × Brown Norway F1 hybrid rats were excised for evaluation of flux through electron transport chain complexes I–III and/or morphometric estimation of capillarization. Muscle mass was lower in the gastrocnemius muscles of the older animals (2,076 ± 32 vs. 1,825 ± 47 mg in young adult vs. late middle-aged, respectively; mean ± SE) but not the plantaris or soleus muscles. Fibers were smaller in the white region of gastrocnemius muscles but larger in the red region of gastrocnemius muscles of the older animals. There was no difference in the number of capillaries around a fiber, the individual C/F ratio, or the CFPE index between groups for any muscle/region, whereas flux through complexes I–III was reduced by 29–43% in late middle-aged animals. Thus the greater quotient of indexes of anatomic capillarity (individual C/F ratio or CFPE index) and fiber oxidative capacity in soleus and the white region of gastrocnemius muscles, but not in the red region of gastrocnemius muscles of the older animals, shows that anatomic capillarity is maintained in relative excess of oxidative capacity in some muscle regions in late middle-aged rats.


2005 ◽  
Vol 289 (4) ◽  
pp. R1015-R1026 ◽  
Author(s):  
Parco M. Siu ◽  
Emidio E. Pistilli ◽  
Stephen E. Alway

Although apoptosis has been demonstrated in soleus during hindlimb suspension (HS), it is not known whether apoptosis is also involved in the loss of muscles dominated by mixed fibers. Therefore, we examined the apoptotic responses in gastrocnemius muscles of young adult and aged Fischer 344 × Brown Norway rats after 14 days of HS. The medial gastrocnemius muscle wet weight significantly decreased by 30 and 32%, and muscle wet weight normalized to the animal body weight decreased by 11 and 15% in young adult and aged animals, respectively, after HS. The extent of apoptotic DNA fragmentation increased by 119 and 61% in suspended muscles from young and aged rats, respectively. Bax mRNA increased by 73% in young muscles after HS. Bax and Bcl-2 protein levels were greater in suspended muscles relative to control muscles in both age groups. The level of cytosolic mitochondria-housed apoptotic factor cytochrome c was significantly increased in the mitochondria-free cytosol of suspended muscles from young and aged rats. In contrast, the release/accumulation of AIF, a caspase-independent apoptogenic factor, was exclusively expressed in the suspended muscles from aged rats. Our data also show that aging favors the proapoptotic signaling in skeletal muscle by altering the contents of Bax, Bcl-2, Apaf-1, AIF, caspases, XIAP, Smac/DIABLO, and cytochrome c. Furthermore, these results indicate that apoptosis occurs not only in slow-twitch soleus muscle but also in the mixed-fiber (predominately fast fibered) gastrocnemius muscle. Our data are consistent with the hypothesis that apoptotic signaling differs in young adult and aged gastrocnemius muscles during HS.


1997 ◽  
Vol 83 (4) ◽  
pp. 1270-1275 ◽  
Author(s):  
Daniel R. Marsh ◽  
David S. Criswell ◽  
James A. Carson ◽  
Frank W. Booth

Marsh, Daniel R., David S. Criswell, James A. Carson, and Frank W. Booth. Myogenic regulatory factors during regeneration of skeletal muscle in young, adult, and old rats. J. Appl. Physiol. 83(4): 1270–1275, 1997.—Myogenic factor mRNA expression was examined during muscle regeneration after bupivacaine injection in Fischer 344/Brown Norway F1 rats aged 3, 18, and 31 mo of age (young, adult, and old, respectively). Mass of the tibialis anterior muscle in the young rats had recovered to control values by 21 days postbupivacaine injection but in adult and old rats remained 40% less than that of contralateral controls at 21 and 28 days of recovery. During muscle regeneration, myogenin mRNA was significantly increased in muscles of young, adult, and old rats 5 days after bupivacaine injection. Subsequently, myogenin mRNA levels in young rat muscle decreased to postinjection control values by day 21 but did not return to control values in 28-day regenerating muscles of adult and old rats. The expression of MyoD mRNA was also increased in muscles at day 5 of regeneration in young, adult, and old rats, decreased to control levels by day 14 in young and adult rats, and remained elevated in the old rats for 28 days. In summary, either a diminished ability to downregulate myogenin and MyoD mRNAs in regenerating muscle occurs in old rat muscles, or the continuing myogenic effort includes elevated expression of these mRNAs.


2002 ◽  
Vol 283 (1) ◽  
pp. C66-C76 ◽  
Author(s):  
Stephen E. Alway ◽  
Hans Degens ◽  
Gururaj Krishnamurthy ◽  
Cheryl A. Smith

Aging attenuates the overload-induced increase in myogenic regulatory transcription factor (MRF) expression and the extent of muscle enlargement. To identify whether mRNA levels of repressors of the MRFs are greater in overloaded muscles from aged animals, overload was achieved in plantaris muscle of aged (33 mo; n = 14) and adult (9 mo; n = 17) rats. After 14 days, plantaris muscles in the overloaded limb were ∼25% and 6% larger in adult and aged rats, respectively, compared with the contralateral limb. Hypertrophied muscles of adult rats had significantly greater levels of mRNA and protein levels for myogenin and MyoD compared with control muscles, but neither MRF increased with overload in muscles of aged rats. Muscles of aged rats had greater Id mRNA (150–700%) and protein repressor (200–6,000%) levels compared with adult rats. BAX and caspase 9 protein levels were 9,500% and 300% greater, respectively, in both control and hypertrophied muscles of aged rats compared with young adult rats. These data are consistent with the hypothesis that aging increases Id transcripts that activate apoptotic pathways involving BAX. This may contribute to sarcopenia by attenuating MRF protein levels in muscles of old animals.


2013 ◽  
Vol 110 (8) ◽  
pp. 1892-1902 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ben D. Richardson ◽  
Kenneth E. Hancock ◽  
Donald M. Caspary

Novel stimulus detection by single neurons in the auditory system, known as stimulus-specific adaptation (SSA), appears to function as a real-time filtering/gating mechanism in processing acoustic information. Particular stimulus paradigms allowing for quantification of a neuron's ability to detect novel or deviant stimuli have been used to examine SSA in the inferior colliculus, medial geniculate body (MGB), and auditory cortex of anesthetized rodents. However, the study of SSA in awake animals is limited to auditory cortex. The present study used individually advanceable tetrodes to record single-unit responses from auditory thalamus (MGB) of awake young adult and aged Fischer Brown Norway (FBN) rats to 1) examine the presence of SSA in the MGB of awake rats and 2) determine whether SSA is altered by aging in MGB. MGB single units in awake FBN rats displayed SSA in response to two stimulus paradigms: the oddball paradigm and a random blocked/interleaved presentation of a set of frequencies. SSA levels were modestly, but nonsignificantly, increased in the nonlemniscal regions of the MGB and at lower stimulus intensities, where 27 of 57 (47%) young adult MGB units displayed SSA. The present findings provide the initial description of SSA in the MGB of awake rats and support SSA as being qualitatively independent of arousal level or anesthetized state. Finally, contrary to previous studies in auditory cortex of anesthetized rats, MGB units in aged rats showed SSA levels indistinguishable from SSA levels in young adult rats, suggesting that SSA in MGB was not impacted by aging in an awake preparation.


2013 ◽  
Vol 114 (4) ◽  
pp. 472-481 ◽  
Author(s):  
Heidi Kletzien ◽  
John A. Russell ◽  
Glen E. Leverson ◽  
Nadine P. Connor

Age-associated changes in tongue muscle structure and strength may contribute to dysphagia in elderly people. Tongue exercise is a current treatment option. We hypothesized that targeted tongue exercise and nontargeted exercise that activates tongue muscles as a consequence of increased respiratory drive, such as treadmill running, are associated with different patterns of tongue muscle contraction and genioglossus (GG) muscle biochemistry. Thirty-one young adult, 34 middle-aged, and 37 old Fischer 344/Brown Norway rats received either targeted tongue exercise, treadmill running, or no exercise (5 days/wk for 8 wk). Protrusive tongue muscle contractile properties and myosin heavy chain (MHC) composition in the GG were examined at the end of 8 wk across groups. Significant age effects were found for maximal twitch and tetanic tension (greatest in young adult rats), MHCIIb (highest proportion in young adult rats), MHCIIx (highest proportion in middle-aged and old rats), and MHCI (highest proportion in old rats). The targeted tongue exercise group had the greatest maximal twitch tension and the highest proportion of MHCI. The treadmill running group had the shortest half-decay time, the lowest proportion of MHCIIa, and the highest proportion of MHCIIb. Fatigue was significantly less in the young adult treadmill running group and the old targeted tongue exercise group than in other groups. Thus, tongue muscle structure and contractile properties were affected by both targeted tongue exercise and treadmill running, but in different ways. Studies geared toward optimizing dose and manner of providing targeted and generalized tongue exercise may lead to alternative tongue exercise delivery strategies.


1997 ◽  
Vol 273 (6) ◽  
pp. C1937-C1946 ◽  
Author(s):  
James F. Collins ◽  
Hua Xu ◽  
Pawel R. Kiela ◽  
Jiamin Zeng ◽  
Fayez K. Ghishan

Ontogenic changes occur in intestinal brush-border membrane vesicle (BBMV) Na+/H+exchange activity. The present studies were designed to investigate ontogenic changes in Na+/H+exchanger (NHE) isoform 3 in rat jejunum. pH-dependent Na+ uptake was assayed in four age groups of rats in the presence of 0, 50, or 800 μM HOE-694, a specific NHE inhibitor with differential sensitivities for NHE2 [inhibition constant ( K i) = 5 μM in PS120 fibroblasts] and NHE3 ( K i = 650 μM). Results showed that NHE2 and NHE3 contribute to basal BBMV uptake at all ages. Uptake levels were highest in 6-wk-old rats, lower in adult rats, and lowest in 2-wk-old (suckling) and 3-wk-old (weanling) rats. NHE3 contribution ranged from 92% at 6 wk of age to 59% at 2 and 3 wk of age. NHE3 inhibition by 800 μM HOE-694 was 38–45%. Statistical analysis showed that HOE-694 had a significant effect at both concentrations at all ages and that differences were present between all ages except 2- and 3-wk rats (at all HOE-694 concentrations). Northern blot analyses of jejunal mucosa showed lowest NHE3 mRNA levels in 2-wk animals and higher levels in all other age groups. Polyclonal antibodies were developed against an NHE3 COOH-terminal fusion protein, and antiserum was characterized with NHE3-transfected PS120 cells and by immunohistochemistry. Western blot analyses showed lowest protein levels in 2-wk animals and higher levels in the other ages. Suckling rats were subcutaneously injected with methylprednisone (MP) for 2 days and killed 1 day later. Northern blot analyses showed a twofold increase in NHE3 mRNA expression with MP treatment. Immunoblot analyses showed a 2.5-fold increase in NHE3 immunoreactive protein levels with MP injection. Overall, these data suggest that NHE3 is regulated during ontogeny and that ontogenic changes are most apparent around the time of weaning. Furthermore, the data suggest that NHE3 is regulated at transcriptional and posttranscriptional levels during mammalian intestinal development.


1996 ◽  
Vol 271 (6) ◽  
pp. E1061-E1066 ◽  
Author(s):  
D. Meynial-Denis ◽  
M. Mignon ◽  
A. Miri ◽  
J. Imbert ◽  
E. Aurousseau ◽  
...  

Glutamine synthetase (GS) is a glucocorticoid-inducible enzyme that has a key role for glutamine synthesis in muscle. We hypothesized that the glucocorticoid induction of GS could be altered in aged rats, because alterations in the responsiveness of some genes to glucocorticoids were reported in aging. We compared the glucocorticoid-induced GS in fast-twitch and slow-twitch skeletal muscles (tibialis anterior and soleus, respectively) and heart from adult (age 6-8 mo) and aged (age 22 mo) female rats. All animals received dexamethasone (Dex) in their drinking water (0.77 +/- 0.10 and 0.80 +/- 0.08 mg/day per adult and aged rat, respectively) for 5 days. Dex caused an increase in both GS activity and GS mRNA in fast-twitch and slow-twitch skeletal muscles from adult and aged rats. In contrast, Dex increased GS activity in heart of adult rats, without any concomitant change in GS mRNA levels. Furthermore, Dex did not affect GS activity in aged heart. Thus the responsiveness of GS to an excess of glucocorticoids is preserved in skeletal muscle but not in heart from aged animals.


1996 ◽  
Vol 270 (2) ◽  
pp. F245-F253 ◽  
Author(s):  
J. H. Dominguez ◽  
C. C. Hale ◽  
M. Qulali

Gentamicin nephrotoxicity may arise in part from alterations in the expression of genes critical for renal proximal tubule metabolism. We tested the hypothesis that gentamicin suppressed the gene expression of the Na+/Ca2+ exchanger (NaCaX), glucose transporter 1 (GLUT1) and alpha 1-subunit of Na(+)-K(+)-ATPase (alpha 1-NKA) in renal tubules. The products of these genes mediate Na(+)-dependent Ca2+ efflux, glucose efflux and influx, and ATP-dependent Na+ efflux across tubular basolateral membranes, respectively. After 10 days of gentamicin intoxication (40 mg/kg ip, twice daily), levels of mRNAs encoding NaCaX and the cognate protein declined. GLUT1 mRNA levels increased, although GLUT1 protein levels were also reduced. Moreover, whereas alpha 1-NKA mRNA levels remained unchanged, alpha 1-NKA protein levels were also reduced. We suggest that the higher GLUT1 mRNA level is part of the stress response to tubular injury. However, regardless of the mRNA level, the most consistent effect of gentamicin was reduction of specific protein levels. We propose that failure to translate high levels of mRNA into proportionally high levels of protein, as in the case of GLUT1, may attenuate the expression of stress response gene products, and thus diminish the possibility of recovery in gentamicin intoxication.


Sign in / Sign up

Export Citation Format

Share Document