Exercise induces expression of leukaemia inhibitory factor in human skeletal muscle

The leukaemia inhibitory factor (LIF) belongs to the interleukin (IL)-6 cytokine superfamily and is constitutively expressed in skeletal muscle. We tested the hypothesis that LIF expression in human skeletal muscle is regulated by exercise. Fifteen healthy young male volunteers performed either 3 h of cycle ergometer exercise at ∼60% of     ( n = 8) or rested ( n = 7). Muscle biopsies were obtained from the vastus lateralis prior to exercise, immediately after exercise, and at 1.5, 3, 6 and 24 h post exercise. Control subjects had biopsy samples taken at the same time points as during the exercise trial. Skeletal muscle LIF mRNA increased immediately after the exercise and declined gradually during recovery. However, LIF protein was unchanged at the investigated time points. Moreover, we tested the hypothesis that LIF mRNA and protein expressions are modulated by calcium (Ca²⁺) in primary human skeletal myocytes. Treatment of myocytes with the Ca²⁺ ionophore, ionomycin, for 6 h resulted in an increase in both LIF mRNA and LIF protein levels. This finding suggests that Ca²⁺ may be involved in the regulation of LIF in endurance-exercised skeletal muscle. In conclusion, primary human skeletal myocytes have the capability to produce LIF in response to ionomycin stimulation and LIF mRNA levels increase in skeletal muscle following concentric exercise. The finding that the increase in LIF mRNA levels is not followed by a similar increase in skeletal muscle LIF protein suggests that other exercise stimuli or repetitive stimuli are necessary in order to induce a detectable accumulation of LIF protein.     

Acute resistance exercise increases skeletal muscle angiogenic growth factor expression

AIMS: Both aerobic and resistance exercise training promote skeletal muscle angiogenesis. Acute aerobic exercise increases several pro-angiogenic pathways, the best characterized being increases in vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF). We hypothesized that acute resistance exercise also increases skeletal muscle angiogenic growth factor [VEGF and angiopoietin (Ang)] expression. METHODS: Seven young, sedentary individuals had vastus lateralis muscle biopsies and blood drawn prior to and at 0, 2 and 4 h post-resistance exercise for the measurement of VEGF; VEGF receptor [KDR, Flt-1 and neuropilin 1 (Nrp1)]; Ang1 and Ang2; and the angiopoietin receptor--Tie2 expression. Resistance exercise consisted of progressive knee extensor (KE) exercise to determine one repetition maximum (1-RM) followed by three sets of 10 repetitions (3 x 10) of KE exercise at 60-80% of 1-RM. RESULTS: Resistance exercise significantly increased skeletal muscle VEGF mRNA and protein and plasma VEGF protein at 2 and 4 h. Resistance exercise increased KDR mRNA and Tie2 mRNA at 4 h and Nrp1 mRNA at 2 and 4 h. Skeletal muscle Flt-1, Ang1, Ang2 and Ang2/Ang1 ratio mRNA were not altered by resistance exercise. CONCLUSIONS: These findings suggest that acute resistance exercise increases skeletal muscle VEGF, VEGF receptor and angiopoietin receptor expression. The increases in muscle angiogenic growth factor expression in response to acute resistance exercise are similar in timing and magnitude with responses to acute aerobic exercise and are consistent with resistance exercise promoting muscle angiogenesis.     

Exercise induced increases in muscle fiber number

Summary The effect of weight-lifting, which induced muscular enlargement, on fiber number was tested in the flexor carpi radialis muscle by operantly conditioning 6 cats to flex their right wrist against increasing resistance for an average of 101 weeks. The left was used as a control. At the end of training, the cats were performing one-arm lifts with an average of 57% of their body weight. There was an 11% greater muscle weight (P<0.01) and 9% (P<0.02) more fibers in the exercised muscles from the right limb than in the left. This study using a different method, supports our earlier observations that prolonged weight-lifting exercise significantly increases the total number of muscle fibers.     

Sequential phosphorylation of skeletal muscle troponin

Summary Phosphorylation of the isolated rabbit skeletal muscle holotroponin complex at troponin-T by phosphorylase kinase is unusual in that it shows maxima and minima. These oscillations are due to protein phosphatase activity present in the preparations. Following tryptic digestion two phosphorylated peptides, I and II, can be isolated. Their amino-acid compositions are identical and correspond to that of the tryptic peptide which contains the two known phosphorylatable sites 149/150 and 156/7 of troponin-T. Peptide I is phosphorylated on both sites and peptide II only on one site. During phosphorylation the doubly phosphorylated peptide I appears first; after a short lag phase peptide II is formed containing only one phosphate. These phenomena probably cause the observed oscillations in the degree of the holotroponin phosphorylation.     

The modeling of oxidative phosphorylation in skeletal muscle

A computer model of oxidative phosphorylation was developed in isolated muscle mitochondria [Korzeniewski and Mazat: Biochem J 319: 143-148, 1996] and in intact skeletal muscle [Korzeniewski and Zoladz: Biophys Chem 92: 17-34, 2001]. Within this model the dependence on different metabolite concentrations of the rate of each enzymatic reaction, process and flux is described by an appropriate kinetic equation. The changes of metabolite concentrations over time are described by a set of ordinary differential equations. The model has been very extensively tested by a comparison of computer simulations with a broad set of experimental results concerning various kinetic properties of the oxidative phosphorylation system. Next the model was used for theoretical studies on the regulation of oxidative phosphorylation in intact muscle cells. The model decidedly supports the so-called parallel-activation mechanism or each-step-activation mechanism of adjusting the rate of ATP supply to the current energy demand [Korzeniewski: Biochem J 330: 1189-1195, 1998; Korzeniewski: Biochem J 375: 799-804, 2003]. Because of this mechanism, not only ATP usage, but also the substrate dehydrogenation system and all oxidative phosphorylation complexes (complex I, complex III, complex IV, ATP synthase, ATP/ADP carrier, phosphate carrier) are directly (and not by changes in metabolite concentrations) activated by some intracellular factor(s) related to muscle contraction, probably by calcium ions, during the transition from rest to work. This mechanism is able to account for several kinetic properties of oxidative phosphorylation that cannot be explained by other mechanisms postulated in the literature. Thus the discussed kinetic model of oxidative phosphorylation has appeared to be a very useful research tool.     

Calorie restriction increases insulin-stimulated tyrosine phosphorylation of insulin receptor and insulin receptor substrate-1 in rat skeletal muscle

A moderate reduction in calorie intake (calorie restriction, CR) improves insulin-stimulated glucose transport in skeletal muscle. Therefore, we studied muscle insulin signalling in ad libitum (AL) and CR ( approximately 60% AL intake for 20 days) fed rats, which received a control injection (sterile water) or an insulin injection (30 U kg-1 body weight). In control (not insulin-treated) rats, there was no detectable tyrosine phosphorylation of insulin receptor (IR), regardless of diet; no diet effect on tyrosine phosphorylation of insulin receptor substrate-1 (IRS1) or IRS1-associated phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase (PI3K) protein and 21% higher IRS1-associated PI3K activity in AL vs. CR. In insulin-treated rats, tyrosine-phosphorylated IR was 79% higher for CR vs. AL; tyrosine-phosphorylated IRS1 was 109% higher for CR vs. AL; IRS1-associated PI3K protein and IRS1-associated PI3K activity were unaffected by diet. Calorie restriction amplifies early insulin signalling steps without changing IRS1-associated PI3K, suggesting enhanced glucose transport is mediated by altering: IRS1-PI3K localization, PI3K associated with proteins other than IRS1 or post-PI3K events.     

血管内皮生长因子165真核基因转染载体转染的骨骼肌细胞

背景：血管内皮生长因子基因转染治疗组织损伤的研究倍受关注,构建稳定可靠的人血管内皮生长因子真核表达载体有重要意义。 目的：克隆人血管内皮生长因子基因血管内皮生长因子165片段,构建pcDNA4-HisMax-C/VEGF165真核表达质粒,并验证其转染大鼠骨骼肌细胞的可靠性。 方法：采用反转录-聚合酶链反应技术,从人卵巢癌患者外周血中提取并扩增出血管内皮生长因子165基因片段,通过DNA重组技术将该基因片段重组于pcDNA4-HisMax-C真核表达载体上,构建成pcDNA4-HisMax-C/VEGF165重组质粒,聚合酶链反应扩增,分别用酶切电泳分析和DNA测序的方法对提取和重组DNA 进行鉴定。pcDNA4-HisMax-C/VEGF165重组质粒转染骨骼肌细胞1周后反转录-聚合酶链反应提取血管内皮生长因子基因并酶切电泳鉴定。 结果与结论：构建的重组质粒目的基因片段为人血管内皮生长因子165 cDNA,对大鼠骨骼肌细胞转染后检测到血管内皮生长因子165基因片段。提示成功地克隆了血管内皮生长因子165基因并构建了其真核表达质粒,能以此为载体转染至骨骼肌细胞,并已整合到骨骼肌的基因组参与转录,证明了其转染的有效性。     

Endurance training increases skeletal muscle lactate transport

Lactate accumulation in skeletal muscle is reduced after a period of endurance training. Explanations for this phenomena include the increased oxidative capacity of the muscle, a reduction in lactate production, and increased lactate clearance. Muscle membrane transport of lactate can be seen to be a fundamental aspect of such clearance, and transmembrane lactate flux may well be an important aspect of the training response in skeletal muscle. Therefore, the lactate transport capacity in skeletal muscle sarcolemmal membranes in endurance-trained and sedentary rats was investigated. Training consisted of 6 weeks of progressively increased treadmill exercise. Twenty-four hours before being killed, both the trained and sedentary animals completed a brief exercise bout. Studies of lactate transport (zero-trans) were conducted using highly purified sarcolemmal vesicles. When low concentrations of L-lactate (1 mm) were used a 59.4% increase in lactate transport was observed (P < 0.05). However, when a high concentration of lactate (50 mm) was used no change in lactate transport was found (P > 0.05). Several interpretations are possible for these observations: (1) that there is an alteration in the K_m but not the V_max of the lactate transport system in skeletal muscle membranes; and (2) that specific changes occur in selected isoforms of the lactate transport protein which may co-exist in muscle.     

Exercise induces interleukin-8 expression in human skeletal muscle

Skeletal muscle has been recognized as an endocrine organ, and muscle cell cultures express several cytokines with potential hormonal effects. Interleukin-8 (IL-8), a chemokine, which induces angiogenesis, is expressed in working muscles; however, the cell source of origin has not been identified. We aimed to elucidate if IL-8 protein is: (1) expressed in contracting muscle fibres and (2) whether there is a release of IL-8 from exercising muscle. Seventeen healthy male volunteers were included in two independent protocols: 3 h of ergometer bicycle exercise at 60% of     ( n = 6) or rest ( n = 5), and 3 h of two-legged knee-extensor exercise at 60% of maximal workload ( n = 6). Repetitive muscle biopsy samples were obtained from the vastus lateralis in all experiments. A marked increase in IL-8 mRNA was found in muscle biopsy samples obtained after exercise. A marked IL-8 protein expression was demonstrated within the cytoplasm of muscle fibres in biopsy samples obtained in the recovery phase following 3 h of bicycle exercise, and the peak occurred 3–6 h postexercise. A small transient net release of IL-8 from working muscle was found at 1.5 h of knee-extensor exercise. However, the small release of IL-8 from muscle did not result in an increase in the systemic plasma concentration of IL-8, suggesting that muscle-derived IL-8 may play a local role, e.g. in angiogenesis.     

Resistance exercise increases AMPK activity and reduces 4E-BP1 phosphorylation and protein synthesis in human skeletal muscle

Resistance exercise is a potent stimulator of muscle protein synthesis and muscle cell growth, with the increase in protein synthesis being detected within 2–3 h post-exercise and remaining elevated for up to 48 h. However, during exercise, muscle protein synthesis is inhibited. An increase in AMP-activated protein kinase (AMPK) activity has recently been shown to decrease mammalian target of rapamycin (mTOR) signalling to key regulators of translation initiation. We hypothesized that the cellular mechanism for the inhibition of muscle protein synthesis during an acute bout of resistance exercise in humans would be associated with an activation of AMPK and an inhibition of downstream components of the mTOR pathway (4E-BP1 and S6K1). We studied 11 subjects (seven men, four women) before, during, and for 2 h following a bout of resistance exercise. Muscle biopsy specimens were collected at each time point from the vastus lateralis. We utilized immunoprecipitation and immunoblotting methods to measure muscle AMPKα2 activity, and mTOR-associated upstream and downstream signalling proteins, and stable isotope techniques to measure muscle fractional protein synthetic rate (FSR). AMPKα2 activity (pmol min⁻¹ (mg protein)⁻¹) at baseline was 1.7 ± 0.3, increased immediately post-exercise (3.0 ± 0.6), and remained elevated at 1 h post-exercise ( P < 0.05). Muscle FSR decreased during exercise and was significantly increased at 1 and 2 h post-exercise ( P < 0.05). Phosphorylation of 4E-BP1 at Thr37/46 was significantly reduced immediately post-exercise ( P < 0.05). We conclude that AMPK activation and a reduced phosphorylation of 4E-BP1 may contribute to the inhibition of muscle protein synthesis during resistance exercise. However, by 1–2 h post-exercise, muscle protein synthesis increased in association with an activation of protein kinase B, mTOR, S6K1 and eEF2.     

Significance of eukaryotic translation elongation factor 1A in tobacco mosaic virus infection

Eukaryotic translation elongation factor 1A (eEF1A) has been shown to interact with both the viral RNA-dependent RNA polymerase and the 3′-terminal genomic RNA of tobacco mosaic virus (TMV). In this study, we demonstrated that the down-regulation of eEF1A mRNA levels by virus-induced gene silencing using potato virus X vector dramatically reduced the accumulation of TMV RNA and the spread of TMV infection. The translation activity of the eEF1A-silenced Nicotiana benthamiana leaves was not severely affected. Collectively, these results suggest an essential role of eEF1A in TMV infection.     

Exercise induces interleukin-8 receptor (CXCR2) expression in human skeletal muscle

Exercise induces a marked increase in interleukin-8 (IL-8) mRNA and protein expression within skeletal muscle fibres. Interleukin-8 belongs to a subfamily of CXC chemokines containing a Glu-Leu-Arg (ELR) motif. CXC chemokines with ELR motifs are potent angiogenic factors in vivo, and IL-8 has been shown to act as an angiogenic factor in human microvascular endothelial cells by binding to the CXC receptor 2 (CXCR2). In the present study, we examined the expression of the interleukin-8 receptor CXCR2 in human skeletal muscle biopsies after concentric exercise. Healthy volunteers were randomized to either 3 h of cycle ergometer exercise at 60% of maximum oxygen uptake (n = 8) or rest (n = 7). Muscle biopsy samples were obtained from the vastus lateralis before exercise (0 h), immediately after exercise (3 h), and at 4.5, 6, 9 and 24 h. Skeletal muscle CXCR2 mRNA increased significantly in response to exercise (3 and 4.5 h) when compared with pre-exercise samples. Expression of the CXCR2 protein was low in skeletal muscle biopsies before exercise and at the end of the exercise period (3 h). However, at 4.5-9 h, an increase in CXCR2 protein was seen in the vascular endothelium, and also slightly within the muscle fibres, as determined by immunohistochemistry. The present study demonstrates that concentric exercise induces CXCR2 mRNA and protein expression in the vascular endothelial cells of the muscle fibres. These findings suggest that muscle-derived IL-8 may act locally to stimulate angiogenesis through CXCR2 receptor signalling.