Muscle-specific and age-related changes in protein synthesis and protein degradation in response to hindlimb unloading in rats.

ABSTRACT: Disuse is a potent inducer of muscle atrophy, but the molecular mechanisms driving this loss of muscle mass are highly debated. In particular, the extent to which disuse triggers decreases in protein synthesis or increases in protein degradation, and whether these changes are uniform across muscles or influenced by age, is unclear. We aimed to determine the impact of disuse on protein synthesis and protein degradation in lower limb muscles of varied function and fiber type in adult and old rats. Alterations in protein synthesis and degradation were measured in the soleus, medial gastrocnemius, and tibialis anterior (TA) muscles of adult and old rats subjected to hindlimb unloading (HU) for 3, 7, or 14 days. Loss of muscle mass was progressive during the unloading period, but highly variabl

SUBMITTER: Baehr LM 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC5451534 | biostudies-literature | 2017 May

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature