title: Progressive nuclear factor-kappaB activation resistant to inhibition by contraction and curcumin in mdx mice.
abstract: Skeletal muscle of patients with Duchenne-type muscular dystrophy and mdx mice exhibits elevated activity of the transcription factor NF-kappaB (nuclear factor-kappaB), which may play a role in muscle catabolism. We measured skeletal muscle NF-kappaB activity in mdx mice at three ages (10 days, 4 weeks, and 8 weeks) to test the hypothesis that NF-kappaB activity is elevated in an age-dependent manner in these mice. In addition, we tested the hypothesis that NF-kappaB activity could be reduced in mdx skeletal muscle by dietary supplementation with curcumin (1% w/v) or by fatiguing muscle contractions. We found that NF-kappaB activity was elevated at 4 and 8 weeks of age but not at 10 days, and was resistant to inhibition by either fatiguing contractions or dietary curcumin. We conclude that NF-kappaB activity is elevated in dystrophic skeletal muscle in an age-related manner and is resistant to inhibition by physiological and pharmacological means. These findings are consistent with a role for NF-kappaB activation in dystrophic muscle wasting but suggest that predicted interventions such as exercise or inhibitors of the early steps in the NF-kappa activation pathway may not be effective and that targeted research is needed to identify novel therapeutic strategies.
authors.affiliation: Department of Molecular Physiology and Biophysics, Baylor College of Medicine, One Baylor Plaza, Houston, Texas 77030, USA. wdurham@bc.tmc.edu
authors.forename: William J
authors.initials: WJ
authors.lastname: Durham
authors.forename: Sandrine
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Arbogast
authors.forename: Eric
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Gerken
authors.forename: Yi-Ping
authors.initials: YP
authors.lastname: Li
authors.forename: Michael B
authors.initials: MB
authors.lastname: Reid
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D003474:Curcumin / Q000494:pharmacology*; D004195:Disease Models, Animal; D004791:Enzyme Inhibitors / Q000494:pharmacology*; D066298:In Vitro Techniques; D051379:Mice; D008810:Mice, Inbred C57BL; D018101:Mice, Inbred mdx; D009119:Muscle Contraction / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000502:physiology; D009133:Muscular Atrophy / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000503:physiopathology; D009137:Muscular Dystrophy, Animal / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000503:physiopathology; D020388:Muscular Dystrophy, Duchenne / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000503:physiopathology; D016328:NF-kappa B / Q000378:metabolism*
chemical_list: D004791:Enzyme Inhibitors; D016328:NF-kappa B; D003474:Curcumin