Expression analysis of PPARα in skeletal muscle of mice at different developmental stages

Abstract Background Peroxisome proliferator-activated receptors (PPARs) belonging to the nuclear receptor family function as transcription factors. PPARα, an initial subtype of PPARs, is predominantly involved in lipid oxidation. The existing research on PPARα mostly focuses on its regulation on metabolism and inflammation in skeletal muscle. However, whether PPARα participates in skeletal muscle development remains largely unknown. Therefore, this study aims to explore the effect of PPARα on mouse skeletal muscle development by investigating the expression of PPARα in skeletal muscle of mice at different ages. Results The results of Western blot assay, quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction (qRT-PCR), and immunofluorescence assay indicated the differences in the expression levels of PPARα in gastrocnemius muscle among different ages of mice. Specifically, young mice exhibited the highest expression of PPARα in their gastrocnemius muscle, whereas aged mice displayed its lowest expression. Furthermore, the immunofluorescence results showed that PPARα was expressed in both the nucleus and the cytoplasm. Conclusions Overall, PPARα was expressed in skeletal muscle of mice at different developmental stages, but the expression levels varied. Our findings lay a foundation for the further functional study of PPARα in skeletal muscle development.