Clenbuterol prevents or inhibits loss of specific mRNAs in atrophying rat skeletal muscle

Abstract

It is known that denervation or hindlimb suspension both decrease the content of rRNA, alpha-actin mRNA, and cytochrome c mRNA in adult rat skeletal muscle. In the present study, the provision of clenbuterol (an anabolic agent) to adult female rats during a 7-day period of denervation of the soleus and gastrocnemius muscles prevented entirely the loss of rRNA, alpha-actin mRNA, and cytochrome c mRNA that normally occurs in denervated muscle. Although clenbuterol inhibited most of the loss of alpha-actin mRNA that occurred in the soleus and gastrocnemius muscles after 7 days of hindlimb suspension, clenbuterol administration had less effect on preventing the loss of rRNA and cytochrome c mRNA in hindlimb suspended skeletal muscle. Clenbuterol had no effect on protein content in atrophied muscle resulting from denervation or suspension. These data suggest that clenbuterol can maintain the expression of certain RNAs in atrophying adult rat skeletal muscle.