title: Effects of chronic AICAR administration on the metabolic and contractile phenotypes of rat slow- and fast-twitch skeletal muscles.
abstract: The present study examined the effects of chronic activation of 5'-AMP-activated protein kinase (AMPK) on the oxidative capacity and myosin heavy chain (MHC) based fibre phenotype of rodent fast- and slow-twitch muscles. Sprague-Dawley rats received daily injections for 4 weeks of the known AMPK activator 5-aminoimidazole-4-carboxamide-1-beta-D-ribofuranoside (AICAR) or vehicle (control). The AICAR group displayed increases in hexokinase-II (HXK-II) activity, expression, and phosphorylation in fast-twitch muscles (P<0.001) but not in the slow-twitch soleus (SOL). In the AICAR group, citrate synthase (EC 4.1.3.7) and 3-hydroxyacyl-CoA-dehydrogenase (EC 1.1.1.35) were elevated 1.6- and 2.1-fold (P<0.05), respectively, in fast-twitch medial gastrocnemius (MG), and by 1.2- and 1.4-fold (P<0.05) in the slower-twitch plantaris (PLANT). No changes were observed in the slow-twitch SOL. In contrast, the activity of glyceraldehyde phosphate dehydrogenase (EC 1.2.1.12) remained unchanged in all muscles. AICAR treatment did not alter the MHC-based fibre type composition in fast- or slow-twitch muscles, as determined by immunohistochemical and electrophoretic analytical methods or by RT-PCR. We conclude that chronic activation of AMPK mimics the metabolic changes associated with chronic exercise training (increased oxidative capacity) in the fast-twitch MG and PLANT, but does not coordinately alter MHC isoform content or mRNA expression.
authors.affiliation: Faculty of Physical Education and Recreation, University of Alberta, Edmonton, Canada.
authors.forename: Jeremy A
authors.initials: JA
authors.lastname: Bamford
authors.forename: Gary D
authors.initials: GD
authors.lastname: Lopaschuk
authors.forename: Ian M
authors.initials: IM
authors.lastname: MacLean
authors.forename: Marcia L
authors.initials: ML
authors.lastname: Reinhart
authors.forename: Walter T
authors.initials: WT
authors.lastname: Dixon
authors.forename: Charles T
authors.initials: CT
authors.lastname: Putman
mesh_terms: D055372:AMP-Activated Protein Kinases; D000620:Aminoimidazole Carboxamide / Q000008:administration & dosage* / Q000031:analogs & derivatives*; D000818:Animals; D004334:Drug Administration Schedule; D004789:Enzyme Activation / Q000187:drug effects / Q000502:physiology; D008297:Male; D009097:Multienzyme Complexes / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D009119:Muscle Contraction / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000502:physiology; D018656:Muscle Fibers, Fast-Twitch / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000201:enzymology / Q000378:metabolism*; D018657:Muscle Fibers, Slow-Twitch / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000201:enzymology / Q000378:metabolism*; D010641:Phenotype; D017346:Protein Serine-Threonine Kinases / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D051381:Rats; D017207:Rats, Sprague-Dawley; D012265:Ribonucleotides / Q000008:administration & dosage*
chemical_list: D009097:Multienzyme Complexes; D012265:Ribonucleotides; D000620:Aminoimidazole Carboxamide; D017346:Protein Serine-Threonine Kinases; D055372:AMP-Activated Protein Kinases; C031143:AICA ribonucleotide