November 7, 2008Journal of Applied Physiology
Effect of unloading followed by reloading on expression of collagen and related growth factors in rat tendon and muscle
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Discussion
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Implication
Randomized trial investigates collagen expression changes in tendon and muscle after unloading and reloading in rats, suggesting complex tissue responses.
Key Points
- This research aims to understand how unloading and subsequent reloading affect collagen and growth factor expression in rat tendon and muscle tissues.
- Female Sprague-Dawley rats underwent hindlimb suspension for 7 or 14 days followed by reloading for 2 to 16 days (n = 8 per group).
- mRNA levels for collagen I, collagen III, TGF-beta1, CTGF, myostatin, and IGF-I were quantified using real-time RT-PCR.
- Muscle mass changes were recorded post-experiment, comparing results to age-matched controls.
- Muscle mass decreased by 50% after 14 days of unloading (P < 0.05) but returned to control levels during reloading.
- Significant induction of IGF-I isoforms in tendon after 7 days of unloading (P < 0.001).
- Reloading increased muscle collagen I and III mRNA by over 10-fold (P < 0.001), while the tendon only showed a moderate 2-fold increase (P < 0.05).
Cite This Study
Heinemeier et al. (2008) studied this question.