title: Short-term vs long-term dexamethasone treatment: effects on rat diaphragm structure and function.
abstract: The effects of dexamethasone treatment duration (2.5 vs 10 weeks) on diaphragm myosin heavy chain isoforms, fiber types, and contractile characteristics were studied in male rats. Compared with ad libitum-fed and pair-fed controls, dexamethasone significantly decreased body weight, costal diaphragm weight, and the relative expression of myosin heavy chain isoform MHC-2B. Compared with pair-fed controls, the effect on MHC-2B expression was greater after 10 weeks than after 2.5 weeks. Type I and type II costal diaphragm fiber atrophy occurred, and type II fiber atrophy was greater after 10 weeks. Costal diaphragm-specific forces were not affected significantly by dexamethasone, regardless of the treatment duration or control group comparison. Fatigue resistance indexes were increased significantly after long term treatment compared with pair-fed controls and after both short-term and long-term treatment compared with ad libitum-fed controls. In conclusion, the effects of dexamethasone on MHC isoform phenotype expression, fiber type costal diaphragm atrophy, and fatigue resistance were dependent on treatment duration, with greater effects after long-term (10 weeks) treatment.
authors.affiliation: Department of Medicine, Albert Einstein College of Medicine, Montefiore Medical Center, Bronx, NY 10467, USA.
authors.forename: D J
authors.initials: DJ
authors.lastname: Prezant
authors.forename: M L
authors.initials: ML
authors.lastname: Karwa
authors.forename: B
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Richner
authors.forename: D
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Maggiore
authors.forename: E I
authors.initials: EI
authors.lastname: Gentry
authors.forename: V
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Chung
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Cahill
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001835:Body Weight / Q000187:drug effects; D003907:Dexamethasone / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000494:pharmacology*; D003964:Diaphragm / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000502:physiology; D005938:Glucocorticoids / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000494:pharmacology*; D008297:Male; D009119:Muscle Contraction / Q000187:drug effects; D018763:Muscle Fatigue / Q000187:drug effects; D018995:Myosin Heavy Chains / Q000096:biosynthesis; D009929:Organ Size / Q000187:drug effects; D051381:Rats; D017208:Rats, Wistar; D013997:Time Factors
chemical_list: D005938:Glucocorticoids; D003907:Dexamethasone; D018995:Myosin Heavy Chains