Effect of thyrotoxicosis on sarcoplasmic reticulum in rat skeletal muscle

Thyroid hormone as a determinant of metabolic and contractile phenotype of skeletal muscle

Skeletal muscles are composed of several types of fibers with different contractile and metabolic properties. Genetic background and type of innervation of the fibers primarily determine these properties, but thyroid hormone (TH) is a powerful modulator of the fiber phenotype. The rates of contraction and relaxation are stimulated by TH, as are the energy consumption and heat production associated with activity. Quantitative and qualitative changes in substrate metabolism accommodate the increase in ATP turnover. Because of the total mass of skeletal muscle, these changes affect whole-body physiology. Although apparently straightforward, the phenotypic shifts induced by TH are highly complex and fiber specific. This review addresses the mechanisms by which TH may modulate fiber gene expression and discusses some of the implications of the TH-regulated changes in metabolic and contractile phenotype of skeletal muscle.

Nandrolone decanoate treatment affects sarcoplasmic reticulum Ca(2+) ATPase function in skinned rat slow- and fast-twitch fibres

The effects of anabolic-androgenic steroid administration on the function of the sarcoplasmic reticulum (SR) pump were investigated in chemically skinned fibres from the extensor digitorum longus (EDL) and soleus muscles of sedentary rats. Twenty male rats were divided into two groups, one group received an intramuscular injection of nandrolone decanoate (15 mg x kg(-1)) weekly for 8 weeks, the second received similar weekly doses of vehicle (sterile peanut oil). Compared with control muscles, nandrolone decanoate treatment reduced SR Ca(2+) loading in EDL and soleus fibres by 49% and 29%, respectively. In control and treated muscles, the rate of Ca(2+) leakage depended on the quantity of Ca(2+) loaded. Furthermore, for similar SR Ca(2+) contents, the Ca(2+) leakage rate was not significantly modified by nandrolone decanoate treatment. Nandrolone decanoate treatment thus affects Ca (2+) uptake by the SR in a fibre-type dependent manner.

Reduced metabolic efficiency of skeletal muscle energetics in hyperthyroid patients evidenced quantitatively by in vivo phosphorus-31 magnetic resonance spectroscopy

Skeletal muscle energetics of seven hyperthyroid patients were investigated throughout a rest-exercise-recovery protocol using phosphorus-31 magnetic resonance spectroscopy (31P MRS) to quantitatively document in vivo the metabolic bases of impaired muscle performance in hyperthyroidism. The contributions of the main pathways of adenosine triphosphate (ATP) synthesis to energy production and proton efflux were measured and compared with results from normal muscle. At rest, a reduced concentration of phosphocreatine (PCr) was calculated for hyperthyroid patients when compared with controls, whereas pH and concentrations of inorganic phosphate (Pi) and phosphomonoesters (PME) were not different from controls. During exercise, the analysis of changes in pH and PCr concentration demonstrated that (1) at the onset of exercise, the magnitude of glycolysis activation is significantly larger for patients, resulting in a marked pH decrease; (2) the energy cost of exercise is higher for patients as compared with controls performing the same amount of work; and (3) both anaerobic and aerobic pathways are significantly more activated in the hyperthyroid group throughout the 3 minutes of exercise. During recovery, the rates of proton efflux and PCr resynthesis were similar in both groups, excluding any alteration in oxidative function and proton handling as a cause of initial glycolytic hyperactivation. The increased energy cost measured for patients during exercise evidences an increased need for energy, which is (1) probably linked to the existence of additional ATP-consuming mechanism(s), and (2) supported by hyperactivation of both aerobic and anaerobic pathways. These findings imply that, all things equal, a hyperthyroid muscle requires more energy to function than normal, and as a result is potentially more fatiguable.

Characterization of the promoter of the rat sarcoplasmic endoplasmic reticulum Ca2+-ATPase 1 gene and analysis of thyroid hormone responsiveness

Relaxation of skeletal muscle requires the re-uptake of Ca2+, which is mediated by the sarcoplasmic reticulum Ca2+-ATPase (SERCA). Thyroid hormone (T3) stimulates the expression of the SERCA1 isoform, which is essential for fast skeletal muscle fiber phenotype. We have cloned and studied the first 962 base pairs of the 5'-flanking region of the rat SERCA1 gene. This sequence was tested for T3-regulated expression in transient transfection experiments using COS7 cells and for binding of thyroid hormone receptor (TR) alpha in mobility shift assays. A construct of the 5'-flanking region and a reporter gene was unresponsive to T3 in the absence of co-transfected thyroid hormone receptor. In the presence of TRalpha, a T3 induction ratio of almost 4.0 was found, and this induction ratio was doubled with co-transfection of an RXR expression plasmid. Analysis of progressive 5'-deletion fragments of the sequence indicated multiple regions involved in T3 responsiveness. Three regions, R1, R2, and R3, were identified that bound TR complexes in mobility shift assays and conferred T3 responsiveness to a heterologous promoter. The most potent of these thyroid hormone response elements, R3, increased the 2-fold background T3 stimulation of the thymidine kinase promoter to nearly 6-fold. Detailed analysis of this element showed that four TR-binding half-sites, comprising two independent thyroid hormone response elements, interact cooperatively to give the maximal T3 response. T3 regulation of SERCA1 expression is mediated by a complex thyroid hormone response element that may serve to provide a greater range of response in interaction with nuclear receptor partners or cell-specific transcription factors.

Differential regulation of the expression of fast-type sarcoplasmic-reticulum Ca(2+)-ATPase by thyroid hormone and insulin-like growth factor-I in the L6 muscle cell line

The aim of this study was to investigate the mechanism(s) underlying the thyroid-hormone (L-tri-iodothyronine, T3)-induced elevation of fast-type sarcoplasmic-reticulum Ca(2+)-ATPase (SERCA1) levels in L6 myotubes and the potentiating effect of insulin-like growth factor-I (IGF-I) [Muller, van Hardeveld, Simonides and van Rijn (1991) Biochem. J. 275, 35-40]. T3 increased the SERCA1 protein level (per microgram of DNA) by 160%. The concomitant increase in the SERCA1 mRNA level was somewhat higher (240%). IGF-I also increased SERCA1 protein (110%) and mRNA levels (50%), whereas IGF-I + T3 increased SERCA1 protein and mRNA levels by 410% and 380% respectively. These SERCA1 mRNA analyses show that the more-than-additive action of T3 and IGF-I on SERCA1 expression is, at least in part, pre-translational in nature. Further studies showed that the half-life of SERCA1 protein in L6 cells (17.5 h) was not altered by T3. In contrast, IGF-I prolonged the half-life of SERCA1 protein 1.5-1.9-fold, which may contribute to the disproportional increase in SERCA1 protein content compared with mRNA by IGF-I. Measurements of SERCA1 mRNA half-life (as determined by actinomycin D chase) showed no difference from the control values (15.5 h) in the presence of T3 or IGF-I alone. When T3 and IGF-I were both present, the SERCA1 mRNA half-life was prolonged 2-fold. No significant effects of T3 and IGF-I were observed on the half-life of total protein (37.4 h) and total RNA (37.0 h). The absence of an effect of T3 on SERCA1 protein and mRNA stability, when it was present alone, suggested transcriptional regulation, which was confirmed by nuclear run-on experiments, showing a 3-fold increase in transcription frequency of the SERCA1 gene by T3. We conclude that the synergistic stimulating effects of T3 and IGF-I on SERCA1 expression are the result of both transcriptional and post-transcriptional regulation. T3 acts primarily at the transcriptional level by increasing the transcription frequency of the SERCA1 gene, whereas IGF-I seems to act predominantly at post-transcriptional levels by enhancing SERCA1 protein and mRNA stability, the latter, however, only in the presence of T3.

Ca2+ homeostasis and fast-type sarcoplasmic reticulum Ca(2+)-ATPase expression in L6 muscle cells. Role of thyroid hormone

The effect of thyroid hormone (L-tri-iodothyronine; T3) on the cytosolic free Ca2+ concentration ([Ca2+]i) in L6 myotubes was studied at rest and during activation to explore the possible mediating role of [Ca2+]i in the T3-induced net synthesis of fast-type sarcoplasmic reticulum (SR) Ca(2+)-ATPase. The mean [Ca2+]i at rest was approx. 115 nM in myoblasts, control myotubes and T3-treated myotubes. Therefore it is unlikely that the T3-induced elevation of Ca(2+)-ATPase levels is mediated by [Ca2+]i changes. To investigate the influence of the 4-fold higher Ca(2+)-ATPase levels in T3-treated myotubes (compared with controls) on [Ca2+]i, interventions with caffeine (10 mM) and a high extracellular K+ concentration ([K+]o) (30 mM) were applied which initially mobilize Ca2+ predominantly from the SR. The results showed a lower (caffeine) or not significantly different (high [K+]o) increase in [Ca2+]i in T3-treated myotubes compared with controls. No rise in [Ca2+]i was found in myoblasts with caffeine or high [K+]o. The role of [Ca2+]i in the regulation of Ca(2+)-ATPase levels was investigated by varying [Ca2+]i through exposure of cells to different concentrations of extracellular Ca2+ (0.2-1.8 mM) and ionomycin (0.1-0.25 microM). At subnormal [Ca2+]i (55 nM) the T3-induced net synthesis of Ca(2+)-ATPase was virtually abolished, and at supranormal [Ca2+]i (195 nM) it was greatly depressed. Intermediate stimulation of net Ca(2+)-ATPase synthesis was found at [Ca2+]i of 95 and 165 nM, with an optimum at approx. 125 nM. Similar but less pronounced effects were found for the basal Ca(2+)-ATPase levels. In contracting primary rat myotubes, Ca(2+)-ATPase levels were significantly lower than in tetrodotoxin-arrested myotubes. The same results were obtained in the presence of T3. Since the mean [Ca2+]i in contracting cells is higher than in resting cells, these data agree with those obtained in the L6 cells with ionomycin. A major conclusion of this study is the existence of a [Ca2+]i optimum, near resting levels, for the expression of the fast-type Ca(2+)-ATPase in the L6 muscle cell line.

Comparison of calcium release from sarcoplasmic reticulum of slow and fast twitch muscles

The mechanism of Ca2+ release from the sarcoplasmic reticulum (SR) of slow and fast twitch muscle was compared by examining biochemical characteristics, ryanodine binding, Ca2+ efflux, and single Ca2+ channel properties of SR vesicles. Although many features of the Ca2+ release channel were comparable, two functional assays revealed remarkable differences. The comparable properties include: a high molecular weight protein from both types of muscle was immunologically equivalent, and Scatchard analysis of [3H]ryanodine binding to SR showed that the Kd was similar for slow and fast SR. In the flux assay the sensitivity to the agonists caffeine, doxorubicin, and Ca2+ and the antagonists Mg2+, ruthenium red, and tetracaine differed only slightly. When SR vesicles were incorporated into lipid bilayers, the single-channel conductances of the Ca2+ release channels were indistinguishable. The distinguishing properties are: When Ca2+ release from passively 45Ca(2+)-loaded SR were monitored by rapid filtration, the initial rates of Ca2+ release induced by Ca2+ and caffeine were three times lower in slow SR than in fast SR. Similarly, when Ca2+ release channels were incorporated into lipid bilayers, the open probability of the slow SR channel was markedly less, mainly due to a longer mean closed time. Our results indicate that slow and fast muscle have ryanodine receptors that are biochemically analogous, yet functional differences in the Ca2+ release channel may contribute to the different time to peak contraction observed in intact slow and fast muscles.

Inhibition of Ca2+ accumulation in isolated sarcoplasmic reticulum by thyroid hormones

Thyroid hormones inhibit Ca2+ accumulation and ATPase activity of isolated sarcoplasmic reticulum vesicles. Half-maximal inhibition was obtained by about 2.5 microM. The ATP hydrolysis activity of the purified (Ca2+ + Mg2+)-ATPase or of the SR vesicles, in the presence of the Ca2+ ionophore A23187, is not inhibited by T3 or T4. Modification of T3 or T4 in the ring portion, but not in the amino portion, of the molecules results in T4 and T3 analogues which are unable to inhibit Ca2+ accumulation. T3 and T4 have no significant effect on various partial reactions of the transport cycle such as: the binding of ATP and Ca2+, or ADP-ATP exchange and E-P formation from ATP, but they inhibit the E-P formation from inorganic phosphate (Pi) and ATP-Pi exchange. The inhibition of both Ca2+ accumulation and ATPase activity by T3 or T4 is increased in the presence of Pi. Binding sites for [125I]T3 and for [125I]T4 in SR proteins were demonstrated using either equilibrium dialysis or gel overlay techniques. The results suggest that the thyroid hormones inhibit the ATP-dependent Ca2+ accumulation, probably by inhibiting the transport of anions which act as the Ca2+ precipitating anion.

The elevation of sarcoplasmic reticulum Ca2(+)-ATPase levels by thyroid hormone in the L6 muscle cell line is potentiated by insulin-like growth factor-I

Net synthesis of the fast-type sarcoplasmic reticulum (SR) Ca2(+)-ATPase was studied in the muscle cell line L6AM using an immunochemical assay (e.l.i.s.a.). In addition, Ca2+ uptake by SR was monitored in muscle cell homogenates by a method employing the fluorescent Ca2+ indicator fura-2. Measurements were done both in differentiating myoblasts and in myotubes. Ca2(+)-ATPase levels were low (1 pmol/mg of protein) in undifferentiated myoblasts (controls) and only doubled over a period of 8 days in the absence of thyroid hormone (L-triiodothyronine; T3). This corresponded to a similar increase in Ca2+ uptake activity. Only half of the myoblasts fused under these conditions. Fusion was not increased in the presence of T3 (5 nM), but Ca2(+)-ATPase levels increased 4-fold and the Ca2+ uptake activity doubled compared with controls. In contrast, insulin-like growth factor-I (IGF-I) induced almost complete myotube formation (greater than 90% fusion), but only slightly stimulated (50%) net Ca2(+)-ATPase synthesis above control levels. However, the doubling of the Ca2+ uptake stimulation by IGF-I was comparable with that caused by T3. The effects of T3 plus IGF-I on Ca2(+)-ATPase levels and Ca2+ uptake activity were more than additive. Furthermore, the temporal relationship between the induction of Ca2(+)-ATPase net synthesis and Ca2+ uptake activity was identical with the two hormones. Qualitatively similar results were obtained when T3 and IGF-I were added to maximally fused cell cultures. The enhanced effect of T3 on Ca2(+)-ATPase net synthesis and Ca2+ uptake activity in the presence of IGF-I cannot therefore be explained by an increased myotube formation stimulated by the latter. In both differentiating myoblasts and myotubes the effect of T3 was more prominent on Ca2(+)-ATPase net synthesis than on Ca2+ uptake activity, whereas in myotubes the opposite was observed for IGF-I. This could imply complementary actions of the two agents in the development of a functional SR.

An assay for sarcoplasmic reticulum Ca2(+)-ATPase activity in muscle homogenates

A spectrophotometric method is described for the determination of sarcoplasmic reticulum (SR) Ca2(+)-ATPase activity (EC 3.1.6.38) in unfractionated muscle homogenates. Conditions were established that give maximal SR Ca2(+)-ATPase activity, while eliminating Ca2(+)-dependent myofibrillar ATPase activity and reducing Ca2(+)-independent or background ATPase activity. High [Ca2+] (20 mM) could be used to selectively inhibit the SR Ca2+ ATPase. Identification of the Ca2(+)-dependent ATPase activity in muscle homogenates as being SR Ca2+ ATPase was based on a comparison of several parameters using homogenate material and purified SR. The following parameters were compared and found to be the same in homogenate and SR: activation and inactivation between 0 and 20 mM Ca2+, temperature dependence, sensitivity toward Triton X-100, and the maximal level of inhibition of ATPase activity achieved by an antibody specific for SR Ca2+ ATPase. The method is illustrated with the analysis of homogenates prepared from freeze-dried muscle fibers and thin sections of muscles typically used in microscope analyses as well as an analysis of freshly prepared homogenates from various types of muscle, which shows a good correlation over a wide range between SR specific Ca2(+)-uptake and -ATPase activities. In addition, a simple, easily constructed cuvette is described which allows the analysis of less than 5 micrograms of tissue (wet weight) in a volume of 25 microliters.

Thyroid hormone differentially affects mRNA levels of Ca-ATPase isozymes of sarcoplasmic reticulum in fast and slow skeletal muscle

mRNA levels for the type I and type II isoforms of sarcoplasmic reticulum (SR) Ca-ATPase were determined in soleus (SOL) and extensor digitorum longus (EDL) muscle of euthyroid (normal), hypothyroid, and hyperthyroid rats. Total Ca-ATPase mRNA content of hyperthyroid muscle was 1.5-fold (EDL) and 6-fold (SOL) higher compared to hypothyroid muscle, with corresponding increases in total SR Ca-ATPase activity. EDL contained only type II Ca-ATPase mRNA. In SOL type I mRNA was the major form in hypothyroidism (98%), but the type II mRNA content was stimulated 150-fold by T3, accounting for 50% of the Ca-ATPase mRNA in hyperthyroidism.

Thyroid hormones up-regulate Ca-channels in cultured skeletal muscle of the rat

The effects of thyroid hormones (TH) were examined on the expression of slow Ca2(+)-channels in cultures of rat skeletal muscle. Myotubes were treated with TH at age 5-7 days in vitro, and measurements of specific binding of the dihydropyridine Ca-channel antagonist [3H]PN200-110 were made beginning 12 h later. TH caused a dose-related increase in PN200-110 binding sites with a lower affinity for the ligand than in control cells. The effect was blocked by simultaneous treatment with cycloheximide or actinomycin-D. The results indicate that TH increase gene expression of slow Ca2(+)-channels of skeletal muscle.

Effects of thyroid hormone on Ca2+ efflux and Ca2+ transport capacity in rat skeletal muscle

The present study was undertaken to investigate the effects of 3,5,3'-triiodothyronine (T3) treatment on passive Ca2+ efflux, Ca2(+)-dependent Mg2(+)-ATPase (Ca2(+)-ATPase) concentration and active Ca2+ transport in isolated rat skeletal muscle. In addition, the question was examined whether changes in Ca2+ efflux at rest and during electrical stimulation in the hyperthyroid state were accompanied by parallel changes in 3-O-methylglucose efflux. The resting Ca2+ efflux from rat soleus muscle was increased by 25% after 8 days of treatment with T3 (20 micrograms/100 g body weight). This was associated with a 78% increase in the basal efflux of 3-O-methylglucose. Electrical stimulation resulted in a rapid stimulation of Ca2+ efflux and 3-O-methylglucose efflux in the two groups of rats, and the levels obtained were significantly higher in the T3-treated group. The stimulating effect of the alkaloid veratridine on Ca2+ efflux was 60% larger in 8-day hyperthyroid rats. Within 24 h after the start of T3 treatment, a significant (21%) increase in Ca2(+)-ATPase concentration was detected. Significant increases in active Ca2+ uptake and passive Ca2+ efflux were not observed until after 2 and 3 days of T3 treatment, respectively. It is concluded that T3 stimulates the synthesis of Ca2+ ATPase and augments the intracellular Ca2+ pools (sarcoplasmic reticulum and mitochondria). The latter results in enhancement of the passive Ca2+ leak, which in turn, may lead to activation of substrate transport systems. The suggested increase in intracellular Ca2+ cycling after T3 treatment may, at least partly, explain the T3-induced stimulation of energy metabolism.

The rate of tetanic relaxation is correlated with the density of calcium ATPase in the terminal cisternae of thyrotoxic skeletal muscle

The density of calcium ATPase was measured in the terminal cisternae of extensor digitorum longus (EDL) and soleus muscles from normal and thyrotoxic rats. The experiments tested the hypothesis that the rate of relaxation of these muscles following contraction, at temperatures above 22 C, is correlated with the density of calcium ATPase in the sarcoplasmic reticular membrane. In soleus fibres there was a progressive increase in calcium ATPase density, measured with immuno-electronmicroscopic techniques, of more than two-fold after 3 weeks of daily injections with triiodothyronine (T3). There was a parallel decrease in the relaxation time (from 80% to 20% of peak tension) of the tetanus: the parameters were closely correlated (r = 0.998) during the 3-week period. The rate of relaxation of the twitch also doubled and was correlated with the increase in gold particle density at the end of the 3-week injection period. However, twitch relaxation slowed during the 1st week of T3 injection and was not correlated with gold particle density at that time. The changes in calcium ATPase density and relaxation times in EDL fibres were small and largely insignificant. In contrast to relaxation, an increase in the rate of rise of tension is soleus was complete after only 2 weeks of T3 injection. The results show that the relaxation of tetanic tension is closely correlated with the calcium uptake capacity of the sarcoplasmic reticulum and that thyroid hormone acts more rapidly on factors regulating the rate of rise of tension than on those regulating tension relaxation and the density of calcium ATPase in the terminal cisternae.

Quantitative determination of Ca2+-dependent Mg2+-ATPase from sarcoplasmic reticulum in muscle biopsies

The possibility of quantifying the total concentration of Ca2+-dependent Mg2+-ATPase of sarcoplasmic reticulum was investigated by measurement of the Ca2+-dependent steady-state phosphorylation from [gamma-32P]ATP and the Ca2+-dependent 3-O-methylfluorescein phosphatase (3-O-MFPase) activity in crude muscle homogenates. The Ca2+-dependent phosphorylation at 0 degree C (mean +/- S.E.) was 40.0 +/- 2.5 (n = 6) and 6.2 +/- 0.7 (n = 4) nmol/g wet wt. in rat extensor digitorum longus (EDL) and soleus muscle, respectively (P less than 0.001). The Ca2+-dependent 3-O-MFPase activity at 37 degrees C was 1424 +/- 238 (n = 6) and 335 +/- 56 (n = 4) nmol/min per g wet wt. in rat EDL and soleus muscle, respectively (P less than 0.01). The molecular activity calculated from these measurements amounted to 35 +/- 5 min-1 (n = 6) and 55 +/- 10 min-1 (n = 4) for EDL and soleus muscle respectively. These values were not different from the molecular activity calculated for purified Ca2+-ATPase (36 min-1). The Ca2+-dependent 32P incorporation in soleus muscle decreased in the order mice greater than rats greater than guinea pigs. In EDL muscles from hypothyroid rats at a 30% reduction of the Ca2+-dependent phosphorylation was observed. The Ca2+-dependent phosphorylation in vastus lateralis muscle from three human subjects amounted to 4.5 +/- 0.8 nmol/g wet wt. It is concluded that measurement of the Ca2+-dependent phosphorylation allows rapid and reproducible quantification of the concentration of Ca2+-dependent Mg2+-ATPase of sarcoplasmic reticulum. Since only 20-60 mg of tissue is required for the measurements, the method can also be used for biopsies obtained in clinical studies.

Characterization of sarcoplasmic reticulum in skinned muscle cultures

The plasma membranes of chick or rat skeletal muscles, grown in cell culture, were made permeable with saponin in a solution lacking calcium. The cells were then supplied with a medium resembling the cytosol and the ATP-dependent Ca2+ sequestration was performed. Based on the low concentration of free Ca2+ in the medium (below 5 microM), the presence of mitochondrial inhibitors and the effect of drugs that interfere with sarcoplasmic reticulum (SR) function, we assume that the measured Ca2+ accumulation expresses SR function on the saponin-treated myotubes. The development of the SR in muscle cultures is augmented as myogenesis proceeds and depends on its occurrence. Whereas creatine kinase activity is elevated immediately following cell fusion, there is a delay of at least 1 day between myoblast fusion and the increase in Ca2+ accumulation in the SR. Thyroxine or triiodothyronine caused an inhibition of Ca2+ accumulation in rat or chick muscle cultures. This inhibition could explain some of the muscle abnormalities caused by excess of thyroid hormones. A comparison was made between a white-type (fast) and heterogeneous muscle, differentiated in cell culture. There was no significant difference in SR function, indicating the important role of innervation in specifying the properties of muscle fiber types.

Modulation by the thyroid state of intracellular calcium and contractility in ferret ventricular muscle

The purpose of this study was to determine whether the cardiac contractile abnormalities induced by hyperthyroidism or hypothyroidism are caused by changes in intracellular Ca2+ handling or by alterations in the distribution of isoenzymes of ventricular myosin. Right ventricular papillary muscles obtained from euthyroid ferrets and ferrets treated with L-thyroxine (hyperthyroid) or methimazole (hypothyroid) were loaded with the calcium indicator aequorin for recording intracellular Ca2+ levels during isometric contraction. In muscles from the hypothyroid ferrets, peak tension was reduced and the duration of contraction prolonged compared to the controls; these changes were associated with a Ca2+ transient of decreased amplitude and prolonged duration. Hyperthyroidism produced opposite changes in the time course of the Ca2+ transient and the associated isometric contraction. Native polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis was performed on myosin extracted from the right ventricular free wall of control and treated ferrets. The hyperthyroid state was associated with new myosin formation as indicated by the appearance of three myosin bands on the pyrophosphate gel. Gels of myosin from hypothyroid and euthyroid ferrets showed a single band that migrated with the slowest of the three bands from the hyperthyroid ferrets. These results suggest that changes in both Ca2+ handling and myosin isoenzymes may contribute to the contractile abnormalities observed in hyperthyroidism. Alterations in intracellular Ca2+ handling alone may account for the contractile changes induced by hypothyroidism.

Effect of thyroid state on cytosolic free calcium in resting and electrically stimulated cardiac myocytes

The effects of the thyroid state on the cytosolic free Ca2+ concentration, [Ca2+]i, of resting and K+-depolarized cardiomyocytes were studied using the fluorescent Ca2+ indicator fura2. The mean resting [Ca2+]i in euthyroid myocytes (89 +/- 8 nM) was not significantly different from that in hyperthyroid myocytes (100 +/- 14 nM). The resting O2-consumption rate was identical for both groups when expressed per mg protein, but a 35% higher value was observed in the hyperthyroid group when expressed per cell on account of the cellular hypertrophy induced by thyroid hormone. Potassium induced depolarization (50 mM [K+]0) raised the level of [Ca2+]i by 50% in both groups. When ATP-coupled respiration was blocked with oligomycin, the 50 mM K+-induced rise in [Ca2+]i was accompanied in both groups by a 40% rise in glycolytic activity as inferred from measurement of lactate production. Ca2+-fluorescence transients were recorded from electrically stimulated myocytes of euthyroid, hyperthyroid and hypothyroid rats. The time taken to reach peak fluorescence (TPL) and that to 50% decay of peak fluorescence (RL0.5) decreased in the direction hypothyroid----hyperthyroid, indicating an increase in Ca2+ fluxes in the same direction. Isoproterenol (1 microM) enhanced the peak Ca2+ fluorescence in electrically stimulated hypothyroid and euthyroid myocytes but not in hyperthyroid myocytes. Both the TPL and RL0.5 were decreased by isoproterenol in euthyroid, but more so in hypothyroid myocytes. None of these parameters were influenced by isoproterenol in the hyperthyroid group. We conclude that (1) thyroid hormone increases neither the O2-consumption rate nor the level of [Ca2+]i of resting cardiomyocytes and (2) the effects of the beta-receptor-agonist isoproterenol on Ca2+ transients of electrically stimulated myocytes, are inversely related to the documented changes in beta-receptor density in heart tissue occurring with alterations in the thyroid state.

Effects of dantrolene on force development in slow- and fast-twitch muscle of euthyroid, hypothyroid, and hyperthyroid rats

1 The effects of dantrolene on twitch and tetanic force development were determined in soleus and gastrocnemius muscle of euthyroid, hypothyroid, and hyperthyroid rats. 2 Maximum twitch force of the gastrocnemius muscle was significantly more depressed by dantrolene than that of the soleus muscle in euthyroid and hyperthyroid rats. In hypothyroid rats, the effect of dantrolene on maximum twitch force was similar in soleus and gastrocnemius muscle. 3 Maximum tetanic force in soleus and gastrocnemius muscle was less depressed by dantrolene than the twitch force in either thyroid state. The effect of dantrolene on maximum tetanic force increased in both muscles in the direction hypothyroid----euthyroid----hyperthryoid. 4 The results are discussed in terms of an effect of thyroid hormones on Ca2+ -cycling during force development, as a result of thyroid hormone-induced proliferation of the sarcoplasmic reticulum.

Hyperthyroidism selectively increases oxidative metabolism of slow-oxidative motor units

The effects of thyroid hormone on the NADH-tetrazolium reductase activity (oxidative metabolism marker) of soleus (slow-oxidative) and tensor fascia lata (fast-glycolytic) motoneurons were determined and compared with changes in a variety of enzyme activities in the corresponding muscle fibers. Histochemical assays have demonstrated a selective and qualitative conversion in muscle fiber ATPase and quantitative increases of NADH-tetrazolium reductase (oxidative) and mitochondrial alpha-glycerophosphate dehydrogenase (glycolytic) activities in the soleus muscle. Paralleling the selective action upon the soleus slow muscle fibers was a selective central nervous system effect of thyroid hormone on oxidative enzymes of soleus slow-oxidative motoneurons. This indicates that either thyroid hormones act directly and specifically on slow motoneurons or that conversion of the muscle fibers by thyroid hormones produces secondary changes in the motoneuron. These data strengthen the hypothesis that oxidative enzyme activities in motoneurons are tightly matched with oxidative enzyme activities in muscle fibers.

Fatigability and recovery of rat soleus muscle in hyperthyroidism

The effect of hyperthyroidism on the fatigue properties of the soleus muscle was investigated in rats treated with T3 (20 micrograms/100 g bw) for 14 (14 d T3) and 30 (30 d T3) days. Maximum tetanic force (Po) was identical in all groups. During 15 minutes of stimulation with 600 ms pulsetrains of 100 Hz at a rate of 60/min, Po declined by 50%, 54%, and 70% in euthyroid, 14 d T3, and 30 d T3 rats, respectively. The results were similar when indirect or direct stimulation was applied. Force recovered to 80% of Po in all groups within five minutes. Whereas relaxation rate and Ca++ transport activity were increased twofold already after 14 days of T3 treatment, myofibrillar ATPase activity (M-ATPase) was only increased in the 30 d T3 group. The decrease in phosphorylation potential ([ATP]/[ADP]f[Pi]) (PP) during stimulation was similar in euthyroid and 14 d T3 rats, but 50% larger in 30 d T3 rats. The latter indicated a higher energy consumption, presumably caused by the M-ATPase. Nevertheless, the PP during fatigue was equal in all groups. The decrease in ATP and the increase in lactate content during fatigue were larger in 14 d T3 and 30 d T3 rats as compared to euthyroid rats, but did not differ between the two hyperthyroid groups. It is concluded that the higher fatigability in the 30 d T3 group cannot be explained by impaired neuromuscular transmission, nor by shortage of energy supply.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

Differential effects of thyroid hormone on T-tubules and terminal cisternae in rat muscles: an electrophysiological and morphometric analysis

Isometric twitches, passive electrical properties and the amounts of transverse (T) tubule system and terminal cisternae in extensor digitorum longus (EDL) and soleus muscle fibres were measured in normal rats and rats given daily injections of triiodothyronine (T3, 150 micrograms kg-1) for 15-25 days. Isometric twitches in both muscles were more rapid after the T3-treatment, particularly in soleus. Cable properties were measured using a three-microelectrode, end-of-fibre, voltage clamp technique. In order to increase the space constant of the T-tubule system, extracellular solutions were used that reduced ionic, particularly chloride, conductance. Fibre diameter was less than normal in the hyperthyroid rats. Membrane capacity, per cm2 of fibre surface, increased in both EDL and soleus muscles and there was a decrease in membrane resistance. The volume and surface area of the T-system and terminal cisternae were measured using standard morphometric techniques. Following T3-treatment the amount of T-tubule system per 100 micron3 of fibre volume, in both EDL and soleus fibres, was twofold higher than in normal fibres. The larger area of T-tubule membrane per unit volume was sufficient to account for the increase in membrane capacity. In contrast, the amount of terminal cisternae per 100 micron3 of fibre was unchanged in EDL following T3-treatment and there was only a small increase in soleus. As a consequence, the normal relationship between the T-tubules and terminal cisternae was changed in both muscles. There was an increase in the numbers of 'bare' T-tubules and an increased occurrence of diadic, pentadic and heptadic junctions between the membranes of the T-tubules and terminal cisternae. The results suggest that thyroid hormone has a differential effect on the synthesis of T-tubule and terminal cisternae membrane, resulting in a disproportionately large amount of T-tubule membrane.

Effects of the thyroid status on the sarcoplasmic reticulum in slow skeletal muscle of the rat

The effects of the thyroid status on the Ca++-transporting capabilities of rat slow skeletal muscle (m.soleus) were studied. The oxalate supported Ca++-uptake activity and Ca++-loading capacity of muscle homogenates from hyperthyroid rats showed an approximate 4.2 and 2.5 fold increase, respectively, as compared to values found in the hypothyroid group. Muscle homogenates of euthyroid rats gave intermediate values. The specific activity of oxalate supported Ca++ uptake, but not the Ca++-loading capacity, of membrane preparations enriched with respect to sarcoplasmic reticulum (SR) increased in proportion to the thyroid status. This was paralleled by a 3.5 fold increase in the amount of active Ca++ pumps in the SR preparations in the transition from hypothyroidism to hyperthyroidism as determined by measurement of Ca++-dependent 32P incorporation. These observations are not explained by differences in degree of purification of the examined SR preparations. Protein profiles of the membrane preparations obtained by gel electrophoresis indicated a thyroid-hormone dependent increase in Ca++-pump content relative to other SR proteins. The results suggest that thyroid hormone stimulates the proliferation of the SR and possibly also increases the Ca++-pump density in the SR membrane.

A freeze-fracture study of extensor digitorum longus and soleus muscle fibers from thyrotoxic rats

Freeze-fracture methods were used to study the sarcoplasmic reticulum and surface membranes in muscles from rats after chronic administration of triiodothyronine (150 micrograms/kg daily, for 1 to 20 days). The major effect of the hormone on the sarcoplasmic reticulum was to increase the numbers of indentations in the terminal cisternae in parallel with an increase in the speed of the isometric twitch. The indentations increased from 7.3 +/- 0.2 to 10.6 +/- 0.1 (mean +/- 1 SEM)/micron of terminal cisternae in the fast-twitch extensor digitorum longus (EDL) and from 0.9 +/- 0.1 to 4.4 +/- 0.1/micron in slow-twitch soleus fibers. The increase in indentation density in both types of muscle occurred within 10 days of the commencement of hormone injection. During the same period there was a small reduction in the density of intramembrane particles in the plasmalemma and a significant increase in the number of caveolae, from 14.6 +/- 0.25 to 20.4 +/- 0.3/micron2 in EDL fibers, and from 22.9 +/- 0.3 to 28.6 +/- 0.3/micron2 in soleus. The increase in caveolae density was coincident with an increase in the area of T-tubule membrane. The results provide further evidence that the indentations in the terminal cisternae play a functional role in muscle activation and that the caveolae are the surface openings of transverse tubules.

Contractile and fatigue properties of thyrotoxic rat skeletal muscle

The effects of thyrotoxicosis on the contractile properties and development of muscle fatigue in the slow soleus (SOL) and fast extensor digitorum longus (EDL) muscles were examined in rats given 3 mg of L-thyroxine and 1 mg of L-triiodothyronine per kilogram of diet for 6 weeks. The hormone treatment produced significant decreases in the contraction time, one-half relaxation time, and twitch tension in the SOL, while the peak rate of tension development (+ dP/dt) and decline (- dP/dt) in this muscle were elevated. Additionally, the force-frequency curve was shifted to the right and, thus, resembled the curve of a normal fast-twitch muscle. In contrast, the contractile properties of the fast EDL were relatively unaltered by the hormone administration. Thyrotoxicosis also changed the SOL response to contractile activity as twitch tension, + dP/dt, and - dP/dt remained high, and a faster decline in muscle glycogen and an increase in lactate occurred compared to control muscles. These results clearly demonstrate a preferential effect of thyroid hormone on slow compared to fast skeletal muscle.

L6 cells as a tissue culture model for thyroid hormone effects on skeletal muscle metabolism

L6 cells have been investigated as a potential tissue culture model for the study of thyroid hormone effects on skeletal muscle metabolism. Differentiated L6 myotubes contained high-affinity triiodothyronine (T3) receptors with a Kd of 3 X 10(-10) M and a maximal binding capacity of 24 fmol T3/100 micrograms DNA. Undifferentiated cells contained receptors with the same Kd, but the binding capacity was reduced by at least a factor of three. Sarcoplasmic reticulum vesicle calcium pumping was demonstrated in L6 cell homogenates. The Vmax for calcium pumping was increased 2.5-fold when T3 was present in the culture medium, but the Kd was unchanged. L6 cells contained high affinity thyroid hormone receptors and were thyroid hormone responsive. These cells may be useful as a tissue culture model for studying the effects of thyroid hormones on skeletal muscle metabolism. In addition, the increase in T3 receptor number with the differentiated state suggests this as a model system for studying regulation of T3 receptor number and the role of T3 in the induction or maintenance of the differentiated state.

Effects of thyroid hormones on the biochemical specialization of human muscle fibers

The effects of thyrotoxicosis and of hypothyroidism on human muscle have been studied on single fiber preparations. In thyrotoxic muscle, the ratio between fibers showing the fast type of myofibrillar protein isoforms (fast fibers) and fibers showing the slow type (slow fibers) is increased, as is the percentage of fibers with incomplete segregation of fast and slow myosin (intermediate fibers). Furthermore, in fast fibers, the volume and, to a greater extent, the rate of Ca transport of sarcoplasmic reticulum (SR) are increased, without changes in the affinity for Ca2+ of the Ca-pump or in its sensitivity to the cyclic adenosine monophosphate (cAMP) dependent protein kinase system. These effects are completely reversed by the removal of thyroid hormones, as demonstrated by hypothyroid muscles. It is suggested that in human muscle cells thyroid hormones are critical for the expression of fast genes and for SR Ca transport.

The effect of hypothyroidism on sarcoplasmic reticulum in fast-twitch muscle of the rat

The effects of hypothyroidism on the Ca2+-transport capabilities of fast-twitch muscle (m. gastrocnemius) of the rat were studied in whole-muscle homogenate and isolated sarcoplasmic reticulum. Hypothyroidism did not affect the percentage recovery and the vesicle composition of the sarcoplasmic reticulum fraction, the total lipid and phospholipid-to-protein ratios and the protein composition (both qualitative and quantitative). Also the Ca2+-loading capacity of purified sarcoplasmic reticulum, in the presence of oxalate, and the Ca2+ and pH dependence of both the uptake reaction and the coupled ATPase activity were unchanged. However, the homogenate Ca2+-loading capacity and the Ca2+-uptake activity were depressed, as was the yield of purified sarcoplasmic reticulum. The results indicate a 31% reduction of the entire sarcoplasmic reticulum membrane system per volume of muscle. Ca2+/ATP coupling ratios, determined in purified sarcoplasmic reticulum vesicles by measurement of initial rates of net Ca2+ uptake and Ca2+-Mg2+-dependent hydrolysis of ATP, were found to be 1.48 +/- 0.06 and 2.08 +/- 0.05 in the euthyroid and hypothyroid groups, respectively. Identical values were obtained with a recently described Ca2+-pulse method (Meltzer, S. and Berman, M.C. (1984) Anal. Biochem. 138, 458-464), i.e., 1.53 +/- 0.06 and 2.01 +/- 0.03 in the euthyroid and hypothyroid groups, respectively. Passive Ca2+ efflux from sarcoplasmic reticulum was the same in both groups (30 nmol/mg per min), as was the fraction of vesicles that did not show net uptake of Ca2+ (less than 10%), which makes it unlikely that these parameters provide an explanation for the differences in the coupling ratio. The energy of activation of the (Ca2+ + Mg2+)-ATPase was increased in hypothyroidism, which may point to changes in the phospholipid environment of the enzyme. Physiological concentrations of T3 and T4 had no effect on the (Ca2+ + Mg2+)-ATPase in vitro, but all observed changes in the hypothyroid state could be reversed within 14 days by administration of T3 to hypothyroid animals. Approximate calculations indicate that the observed changes in the sarcoplasmic reticulum as a result of thyroid-hormone depletion may contribute significantly to the decrease in relaxation rate and the decrease in energy consumption during contraction.

Kinetic studies of Ca2+ release from sarcoplasmic reticulum of normal and malignant hyperthermia susceptible pig muscles

The time-course of Ca2+ release from sarcoplasmic reticulum isolated from muscles of normal pigs and those of pigs susceptible to malignant hyperthermia were investigated using stopped-flow spectrophotometry and arsenazo III as a Ca2+ indicator. Several methods were used to trigger Ca2+ release: (a) addition of halothane (e.g., 0.2 mM); (b) an increase of extravesicular Ca2+ concentration ([Ca2+0]); (c) a combination of (a) and (b), and (d) replacement of ions (potassium gluconate with choline chloride) to produce membrane depolarization. The initial rates of Ca2+ release induced by either halothane or Ca2+ alone, or both, are at least 70% higher in malignant hyperthermic sarcoplasmic reticulum than in normal. The amount of Ca2+ released by halothane at low [Ca2+0] in malignant hyperthermic sarcoplasmic reticulum is about twice as large as in normal sarcoplasmic reticulum. Membrane depolarization led to biphasic Ca2+ release in both malignant hyperthermic and normal sarcoplasmic reticulum, the rate constant of the rapid phase of Ca2+ release induced by membrane depolarization being significantly higher in malignant hyperthermic sarcoplasmic reticulum (k = 83 s-1) than in normal (k = 37 s-1). Thus, all types of Ca2+ release investigated (a, b, c and d) have higher rates in malignant hyperthermic sarcoplasmic reticulum than normal sarcoplasmic reticulum. These results suggest that the putative Ca2+ release channels located in the sarcoplasmic reticulum are altered in malignant hyperthermic sarcoplasmic reticulum.