Neurogenic control of muscle ribosomal protein synthesis

Denervation modulated changes in mouse skeletal muscle RNA concentration

We have examined normal and denervated mouse skeletal muscle for histological evidence of changes in RNA concentration using acridine orange/nucleic acid fluorescence. In denervated muscle, cytoplasmic RNA concentration increases dramatically. The earliest increase is in the subsarcolemmal region, 7 days after denervation. By 28 days after denervation, the increase in RNA is distributed throughout the cytoplasm of the atrophic cells, non-atrophic cells show little or no increase. Prior to the increase in cytoplasmic RNA concentration, many myocyte nuclei exhibit enlarged nucleoli, indicative of active ribosomal RNA synthesis. Such active nucleoli are present throughout the 42 day study period. We conclude that both new RNA synthesis, and preferential accumulation of cytoplasmic RNA are prominent events in denervation atrophy. There is an ordered progression from nucleolar synthesis to subsarcolemmal accumulation to diffuse accumulation in atrophying cells. These observations complement biochemical findings of others which indicate an increase in both RNA and protein synthesis after denervation.

Protein synthesis and degradation in skeletal muscle of normal and dystrophic hamsters

Dystrophic hamsters (BIO 53.58) had lower body weights and gastrocnemius muscle weights than normal hamsters (BIO RB). Dystrophic muscle contained less protein than normal muscle. The proportion of collagenous to noncollagenous protein remained unchanged. Loss of protein in the dystrophic muscle was the result of an increase in the rate of protein degradation. This was accompanied by higher activities of two lysosomal proteases, cathepsins B and D. The net effect of the increase in protein degradation was blunted by an increase in the rate of synthesis of total protein and myosin. The faster rate of synthesis in dystrophic muscle was partially due to an increase in the concentration of cellular RNA. Rates of peptide-chain initiation and protein synthesis decreased in muscles of normal hamsters perfused in the absence of insulin. In the presence of insulin, these processes were maintained at higher rates. However, the rate of protein synthesis in dystrophic muscle appeared less insulin-dependent than normal muscle. Protein degradation was inhibited by insulin in both types of muscle.

Increased T3 deiodination in dystrophic and neonatally denervated mouse muscle

T3, free iodide levels and morphological features were compared in normal, 129 ReJ dy/dy dystrophic and neonatally denervated skeletal muscles of mice, killed 6 hr after a single intraperitoneal injection of iodine-labelled hormone. Both the dystrophic andthe denervated muscles were found to contain equal amounts of T3 but more iodide than the normal specimens. Increased iodide levels are considered to reflect augmented T3-catabolism by muscle dehalogenase and may indicate low free hormone levels in the soluble enzyme fraction of the cell, despite its normal overall T3 content. The close light-microscopic resemblance of 129 ReJ dy/dy dystrophy and neonatal denervation is confirmed. The possibility is discussed that one or several of the muscular dystrophies are forms of target organ hypothyroidism.