Mechanisms Underlying the Rarity of Skeletal Muscle Cancers.

Skeletal muscle (SKM), despite comprising ~40% of body mass, rarely manifests cancer. This review explores the mechanisms that help to explain this rarity, including unique SKM architecture and function, which prohibits the development of new cancer as well as negates potential metastasis to SKM. SKM also presents a unique immune environment that may magnify the anti-tumorigenic effect. Moreover, the SKM microenvironment manifests characteristics such as decreased extracellular matrix stiffness and altered lactic acid, pH, and oxygen levels that may interfere with tumor development. SKM also secretes anti-tumorigenic myokines and other molecules. Collectively, these mechanisms help account for the rarity of SKM cancer.

Gene response of the gastrocnemius and soleus muscles to an acute aerobic run in rats.

Genes can be activated or inhibited by signals within the tissues in response to an acute bout of exercise. It is unclear how a particular aerobic exercise bout may influence two muscles with similar actions to the activity. Therefore, the purposes of this investigation was to determine the gene response of selected genes involved in the "stress" response of the gastrocnemius (fast-twitch) and soleus (slow-twitch) muscles to a single two hour aerobic exercise bout in female Sprague-Dawley Rats at the 1 hour time point after the exercise. Exercised rats were run (n=8) for 2 hours at 20 m.min(-1) and one hour after the completion of the bout had their soleus (S) and gastrocnemius (G) muscles removed. Age and timed matched sedentary control rats had both S and G muscles removed also. RNA was isolated from all muscles. Real-time PCR analysis was performed on the following genes: NFκB, TNFα, and Atf3. GAPDH was used as the housekeeping gene for both muscles. S muscle showed more genes altered (n = 52) vs G (n = 26). NFκB gene expression was 0.83 ± 0.14 in the exercised S but was + 1.36 ± 0.58 in the exercised G and was not significantly different between the muscles. TNFα was altered 1.30 ± 0. 34 in the exercised S and 1.36 ± 0.71 in the exercised G and was not significantly different between the muscles. The gene Atf3 was significantly altered at 4.97 ± 1.01 in the exercised S, while it was not significantly altered in the exercised G (0.70 ± 0.55). This study demonstrates that an acute bout of aerobic exercise can alter gene expression to a different extent in both the S and G muscles. It is highly likely that muscle recruitment was a factor which influenced the gene expression in theses muscles. It is interesting to note that some genes were similarly activated in these two muscles but other genes may demonstrate a varied response to the same exercise bout depending on the type of muscle. Key pointsThe soleus (primarily slow twitch) and the gastrocnemius (primarily fast type) do not respond the same to a given exercise bout.There are gene transcription differences in stress genes between the 2 muscles.The results of exercise studies should be carefully viewed as the muscle used in measurements may not provide an adequate representation of all skeletal muscles.

Mice with altered serotonin 2C receptor RNA editing display characteristics of Prader-Willi syndrome.

RNA transcripts encoding the 2C-subtype of serotonin (5HT(2C)) receptor undergo up to five adenosine-to-inosine editing events to encode twenty-four protein isoforms. To examine the effects of altered 5HT(2C) editing in vivo, we generated mutant mice solely expressing the fully-edited (VGV) isoform of the receptor. Mutant animals present phenotypic characteristics of Prader-Willi syndrome (PWS) including a failure to thrive, decreased somatic growth, neonatal muscular hypotonia, and reduced food consumption followed by post-weaning hyperphagia. Though previous studies have identified alterations in both 5HT(2C) receptor expression and 5HT(2C)-mediated behaviors in both PWS patients and mouse models of this disorder, to our knowledge the 5HT(2C) gene is the first locus outside the PWS imprinted region in which mutations can phenocopy numerous aspects of this syndrome. These results not only strengthen the link between the molecular etiology of PWS and altered 5HT(2C) expression, but also demonstrate the importance of normal patterns of 5HT(2C) RNA editing in vivo.

Increased mitochondrial glycerol-3-phosphate acyltransferase protein and enzyme activity in rat epididymal fat upon cessation of wheel running.

Triacylglycerol synthesis in rat epididymal fat overshoots sedentary levels at 10, 29, and 53 h of physical inactivity after 21 days of wheel running. The purposes of the present study were to determine 1) whether this effect is also observed after an acute bout of physical activity and 2) what enzymatic changes might contribute to this effect. We show that more than one bout of physical activity, such as that which occurs with 21 days of wheel running, is necessary for palmitic acid incorporation into triacylglyceride (triglyceride synthesis) to overshoot sedentary values, which suggests that pretranslational mechanisms may be responsible for this overshoot effect. Ten hours after 21 days of wheel running, activity of the mitochondrial glycerol-3-phosphate acyltransferase-1 (mtGPAT1) isoform, a key regulator of triacylglycerol synthesis, overshot sedentary values by 48% and remained higher than sedentary values at 29 and 53 h of reduced physical activity. The overshoot in mtGPAT1 activity was accompanied by an increase in mtGPAT protein level. Cyclic AMP response element-binding protein-binding protein level was higher in sedentary 29 h after 21 days of wheel running. AMP kinase-alpha Thr(172) phosphorylation was increased immediately after treadmill running, but decreased to sedentary values by 5 h after activity. Casein kinase-2alpha protein level and activity were unchanged. We conclude that an increase in mtGPAT protein might contribute to the overshoot in triacylglycerol synthesis.

Sustained rise in triacylglycerol synthesis and increased epididymal fat mass when rats cease voluntary wheel running.

Four-week-old, Fischer-Brown Norway F1-generation male rats were given access to voluntary running wheels for 21 days, and then the wheels were locked for 5 (WL5), 10 (WL10), 29 (WL29), or 53 (WL53) hours. Two other groups (SED5 and SED10) had no access to voluntary running wheels and were killed at the same time as WL5 and WL10, respectively. Absolute and relative epididymal fat mass, mean cell volume, and amount of lipid per cell increased in WL53 relative to all other groups, with no change in cell number. C/EBPalpha protein levels in epididymal fat were 30% greater in SED5 than in WL5. The rate of triacylglycerol synthesis in epididymal fat was 4.2-fold greater in SED5 than in WL5, increased 14-fold between WLS and WL10, and was 79% lower in SED10 than in WL10. Triacylglycerol synthesis remained at this elevated level (at least 3.5-fold greater than SED5) through WL53. Thus, the rapid increase in epididymal fat mass with the cessation of voluntary wheel running is associated with a prolonged overshoot in epididymal fat triacylglycerol synthesis. Moreover, rats without running wheels had a 9.4% lower body mass after 21 days than those with running wheels. The individual mass of seven different muscles from the hindlimb, upper forelimb, and back were each lower in animals without running wheels, suggesting that physical activity in rapidly growing rats may be requisite for optimal muscle development.

Alterations in insulin receptor signalling in the rat epitrochlearis muscle upon cessation of voluntary exercise.

The major purpose of this study was to elucidate mechanisms by which decreasing enhanced physical activity induces decreased insulin sensitivity in skeletal muscle. Rats with access to voluntary running wheels for 3 weeks had their wheels locked for 5 h (WL5), 29 h (WL29), or 53 h (WL53); a separate group of rats never had wheel access (sedentary, SED). Relative to WL5, submaximal insulin-stimulated 2-deoxyglucose uptake into the epitrochlearis muscle was lower in WL53 and SED. Insulin binding, insulin receptor beta-subunit (IRbeta) protein level, submaximal insulin-stimulated IRbeta tyrosine phosphorylation, and glucose transporter-4 protein level were each lower in both WL53 and SED than in WL5 and WL29. Akt/protein kinase B Ser(473) phosphorylation was lower in WL53 and SED than in WL5. Protein levels of protein tyrosine phosphatase-1B, Src homology phosphatase-2, and protein kinase C- did not vary among groups. The amount of protein tyrosine phosphatase-1B, Src homology phosphatase-2, and protein kinase C- associated with IRbeta in insulin-stimulated muscle also did not differ among the four groups. The mean of SED and WL53 had a significantly higher IRbeta-associated protein tyrosine phosphatase-1B than the mean of WL5 and WL29. The enclosure of multiple changes (decreases in insulin binding, IRbeta protein, IRbeta tyrosine phosphorylation, and glucose transporter-4 protein) in the epitrochlearis muscle within the 29th to 53rd hour after cessation of voluntary wheel running raises the possibility that a single regulatory event could be responsible for the coordinated decrease.