Journal of Applied Physiology, Vol 67, Issue 6 2311-2315, Copyright © 1989 by American Physiological Society

ARTICLES

Myosin heavy chain turnover and glucocorticoid deterrence by exercise in muscle

S. M. Czerwinski, R. Zak, T. T. Kurowski, M. T. Falduto and R. C. Hickson
Department of Physical Education, University of Illinois, Chicago 60680.

This study was undertaken to determine whether regular endurance running, of the type known to attenuate glucocorticoid-induced muscle atrophy, produces a reversal of the glucocorticoid-mediated suppression of myosin heavy chain (MHC) synthesis. Female rats were arbitrarily assigned to one of four groups. There were two sedentary groups that received either a vehicle (1% aqueous carboxymethyl cellulose) or cortisol acetate (100 mg/kg body wt) for 11 consecutive days and two exercise (treadmill running 29 m/min, 90 min/day, for 11 consecutive days) groups that received the activity simultaneously with either vehicle or steroid treatments. Protein synthesis measurements were performed by constant infusion of [3H]leucine. Fractional synthesis rates of MHC were determined from the leucyl-tRNA precursor pool, which was similar in all groups (range 2.85 +/- 0.32 to 3.51 +/- 0.43 dpm/pmol). Exercise prevented 30% of the plantaris muscle mass loss as the result of cortisol acetate treatment. MHC synthesis rates (%/day) in plantaris muscles of sedentary animals were reduced by glucocorticoid treatment to 65% (6.2/9.5) of the vehicle-treated group. Exercise did not alter this depression of MHC synthesis. The combination of exercise and glucocorticoid treatment reduced the calculated MHC breakdown rate (%/day) to 80% (-8.0/-10.1) of the rate resulting from hormone treatment alone and 60% (-8.0/-13.3) of the rate resulting from exercise alone. These results show that endurance exercise does not reverse the glucocorticoid inhibition of MHC synthesis in muscle but may act through reducing MHC breakdown.

This article has been cited by other articles:

				M. Duclos, C. Gouarne, C. Martin, C. Rocher, P. Mormede, and T. Letellier Effects of corticosterone on muscle mitochondria identifying different sensitivity to glucocorticoids in Lewis and Fischer rats Am J Physiol Endocrinol Metab, February 1, 2004; 286(2): E159 - E167. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				Skeletal Muscle Dysfunction in Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease . A Statement of the American Thoracic Society and European Respiratory Society Am. J. Respir. Crit. Care Med., April 1, 1999; 159(4): S2 - 40. [Full Text] [PDF]