Abstract
The aim of this study was to determine the impact of chronic treatment for 8 weeks with hydrocortisone acetate (5 mg kg−1 day−1) on skeletal muscles, and to evaluate whether sprint training can prevent glucocorticoid-induced muscle atrophy better than endurance training. Biochemical, histological and contractile properties were employed to determine the influence of this steroid on skeletal musculature, and the results were compared to pair-weight animals to take into account the influence of corticoids on growth rate. It was found that hydrocortisone acetate treatment results in a stunted growth, adrenal atrophy and depressed plasma corticosterone levels. Mild corticoid-induced losses of muscle mass and protein content (9%–13%) were observed in fast-twitch skeletal muscles. It appeared that the impact of corticoids is strictly directed toward type IIb fibres, which displayed a 12%–18% reduction in cross-sectional areas. No alterations occurred in plantaris contractile speed or tensions properties. Neither endurance training (30 m/min; 90 min/day; 5 days/week) nor sprint training (60 m/min; 15 min/day; 5 days/week) for 8 weeks was able to counteract the effects of corticoids. These data suggest that increased contractile activity, as induced by treadmill running, is not sufficient to counteract the muscular effects of glucocorticoids when administered at a dose of 5 mg kg−1 day−1.
Similar content being viewed by others
References
Almon RR, Dubois DC (1990) Fiber-type discrimination and glucocorticoid-induced atrophy. Med Sci Sports Exerc 22: 304–311
Amelink GJ, Kamp HH, Bär PR (1988) Creatine kinase isoenzyme profiles after exercise in the rat: sex-linked differences in leakage of CK-MM. Pflügers Arch 412: 417–421
Armstrong RB, Laughlin MH (1983) Blood flows within and among rat muscles as a function of time during high speed treadmill exercise. J Physiol (Lond) 344: 189–208
Armstrong RB, Phelps RO (1984) Muscle fiber composition of the rat hindlimb. Am J Anat 171: 259–272
Baldwin KM, Winder WW, Terjung RL, Holloszy JO (1973) Glycolytic enzymes in different types of skeletal muscle: adaptation to exercise. Am J Physiol 225: 962–966
Bär PR, Amelink GJ, Oldenburg B, Blankenstein MA (1988) Prevention of exercise-induced muscle membrane damage by oestradiol. Life Sci 42: 2677–2681
Bullock GR, Carter EE, Elliot P, Peters RF, Simpson P, White AM (1972) Relative changes in the function of muscle ribosomes and mitochondria during the early phase of steroid-induced catabolism. Biochem J 127: 881–892
Capaccio JA, Galassi TM, Hickson RC (1985) Unaltered aerobic power and endurance following glucocorticoid-induced muscle atrophy. Med Sci Sports Exerc 17: 380–384
Czerwinski SM, Kurowski TG, O'Neill TM, Hickson RC (1987) Initiating regular exercise protects against muscle atrophy from glucocorticoids. J Appl Physiol 63: 1504–1510
Czerwinski SSM, Zak R, Kurowski TT, Falduto MT, Hickson RC (1989) Myosin heavy chain turnover and glucocorticoid deterrence by exercise in muscle. J Appl Physiol 67: 2311–2315
Dallman MF, Jones MT (1973) Corticosteroid feedback control of ACTH secretion: effect of stress-induced corticosterone secretion on subsequent stress responses in the rat. Endocrinology 92: 1367–1375
Dudley GA, Abraham WM, Terjung RL (1982) Influence of exercise intensity and duration on biochemical adaptations in skeletal muscles. J Appl Physiol 53: 844–850
Exton JH (1979) Hormonal control of gluconeogenesis. Adv Exp Med Biol 3: 125–167
Falduto MT, Czerwinski SM, Hickson RC (1990) Glucocorticoid-induced muscle atrophy prevention by exercise in fast-twitch fibers. J Appl Physiol 69: 1058–1062
Gardiner PF, Hlbl B, Simpson DR, Roy R, Edgerton VR (1980) Effects of a mild weight-lifting program on the progress of glucocorticoid-induced atrophy in rat hindlimb muscles. Pflügers Arch 385: 147–153
Gardiner PF, Montanaro G, Simpson DR, Edgerton VR (1980) Effects of glucocorticoid treatment and food restriction on rat hindlimb muscles. Am J Physiol 238: E124-E130
Goldberg AL, Goodman HM (1969) Relationship between cortisone and muscle work in determining muscle size. J Physiol (Lond) 200: 667–675
Goodman Gilman A, Goodman LS, Gilman A (1985) Adrenocorticotropic hormone; adrenocortical steroids and their synthetic analogs; inhibitors of adrenocortical steroid biosynthesis. In: Pharmacological basis of therapeutics, 6th edn., Macmillan, London, pp 1466–1496
Gorostiaga EM, Czerwinski SM, Hickson RC (1988) Acute glucocorticoid effects on glycogen utilization, O2 uptake, and endurance. J Appl Physiol 64: 1098–1106
Hickson RC, Davis JR (1981) Partial prevention of glucocorticoid-induced muscle atrophy by endurance training. Am J Physiol 241: E226-E232
Hickson Rc, Czerwinski SM, Falduto MT, Young AP (1990) Glucocorticoid antagonism by exercise and androgenic-anabolic steroids. Med Sci Sports Exerc 22: 331–340
Kelly FJ, Goldspin DF (1982) The differing responses of four muscle types to dexamethasone treatment in the rat. Biochem J 208: 147–151
Kelly FJ, McGrath JA, Goldspink DF, Cullen MJ (1986) A morphological/biochemical study on the actions of corticosteroids on rat skeletal muscle. Muscle Nerve 9: 1–10
Kurowski Tt, Chatterton RT Jr, Hickson RC (1984) Glucocorticoid-induced cardiac hypertrophy: additive effects of exercise. J Appl Physiol 57: 514–519
Kurowski TT, Chatterton RT Jr, Hickson RC (1984) Counter-effects of compensatory overload and glucocorticoids in skeletal muscle: androgen and glucocorticoid cytosol receptor binding. J Steroid Biochem 21: 137–145
Lowry OH, Passonneau JV (eds) (1972) A flexible system of enzymatic analysis. Academic Press, New York, p 291
Lowry OH, Rosebrough NJ, Farr AL, Randall RJ (1951) Protein measurement with the Folin phenol reagent. J Biol Chem 193: 265–275
McGrath JA, Goldspink DF (1982) Glucocorticoid action on protein synthesis and protein breakdown in isolated skeletal muscles. Biochem J 206: 641–645
McGrath JA, Kelly FJ, Goldspink DF (1981) The influence of contractile activity and age on the responsiveness of rat skeletal muscle to catabolic steroids. Adv Physiol Sci 24: 179–184
Sellers TL, Jaussi AW, Yang HT, Heninger RW, Winder WW (1988) Effect of the exericse-induced increase in glucocorticoids on endurance in the rat. J Appl Physiol 65: 173–178
Shoji S, Pennington RJ (1977) The effect of cortisone on protein breakdown and synthesis in rat skeletal muscle. Mol Cell Endocrinol 6: 159–169
Srere PA (1969) Citrate synthase. Methods Enzymol 13: 3–5
Wurtman RJ, Pohorecky LA, Baliga BS (1972) Adrenocortical control of the biosynthesis of epinephrine and proteins in the adrenal medulla. Pharmacol Rev 24: 411–430
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Fimbel, S., Abdelmalki, A., Mayet, M.H. et al. Exercise training fails to prevent glucocorticoid-induced muscle alterations in young growing rats. Pflügers Arch. 424, 369–376 (1993). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00374896
Received:
Revised:
Accepted:
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00374896