The Effects of Hindlimb Suspension on Proteins Essential to Cholesterol Metabolism in Rat Skeletal Muscle Conference Paper uri icon

abstract

  • IntroductionHindlimb suspension (HS) results in significant deleterious effects on numerous physiological systems, including atrophy of weightbearing muscles. However, HS and its effects on proteins essential for cholesterol metabolism have not been investigated in unloaded skeletal muscle. Cholesterol serves as a critical constituent of all cell membranes, including skeletal muscle. The purpose of this study was to examine the effects of 28 days of HS on sterol regulatory elementbinding protein 2 (SREBP2), which is a transcriptional factor necessary for endogenous cholesterol synthesis. We hypothesized that HS causes a downregulation of this protein in rat skeletal muscle.MethodsTwelve male SpragueDawley rats, 6 months of age, were hindlimb suspended for 28 days (HS; n=5) or served as cage controls (CC; n=7). After 4 weeks, plantarflexor muscles were harvested, weighed and analyzed by Western Blotting for SREBP2.ResultsSoleus muscle mass and soleus muscle mass to body mass were significantly different between groups (HS: 97.0 14.2 mg and 0. 22 0. 03 mg/g; CC: 244.3 38.1 mg and 0.49 0. 06 mg/g, P < 0.05). However, mature SREBP2 was not significantly different between groups (HS: 0.66 0.31 arbitrary units (AU) and CC: 1.06 0.39 AU, P=0.09).ConclusionAfter 28 days, HS resulted in significant decreases in soleus muscle mass, but not mature SREBP2, as compared to cage controls.

published proceedings

  • FASEB JOURNAL

author list (cited authors)

  • Lee, T. V., Swift, J. M., Chen, V., Lee, C. W., Bui, S., & Riechman, S. E.

citation count

  • 0

complete list of authors

  • Lee, Teak Veng||Swift, Joshua M||Chen, Vincent CW||Lee, Chang Woock||Bui, Steve||Riechman, Steven E

publication date

  • April 2010

publisher