The pesticide methoxychlor decreases myotube formation in cell culture by slowing myoblast proliferation.
We studied the effect of the estrogenic pesticide methoxychlor (MXC) on skeletal muscle development using C2C12 cell culture. Myoblast cultures were exposed to various concentrations of MXC at various times during the process of myoblast fusion into myotubes. We observed that MXC exposure decreased myotube formation. In addition, we observed myoblasts with cytoplasmic vacuoles in cultures exposed to MXC. Because cytoplasmic vacuoles can be characteristic of cell death, apoptosis assays and trypan blue exclusion assays were performed. We found no difference in the frequency of apoptosis or in the frequency of cell death for cultures exposed to MXC and untreated cultures. Collectively, these results indicate that MXC exposure decreases myotube formation without causing cell death. In contrast, when cell proliferation was assessed, untreated cultures had a myoblast proliferation rate 50% greater than cultures exposed to MXC. We conclude that MXC decreases myotube formation at least in part by slowing myoblast proliferation. Furthermore, we suggest that direct exposure to MXC could affect skeletal muscle development in animals or humans, in addition to the defects in reproductive development that have previously been reported.
Steffens
Bradley W
BW
Department of Anatomy, Midwestern University, 19555 N. 59th Avenue, Glendale, AZ 85308, USA.
Batia
Lyn M
LM
Baarson
Chad J
CJ
Choi
Chang-Kun Charles
CK
Grow
Wade A
WA
D018171:Agrin / Q000494:pharmacology; D000818:Animals; D017209:Apoptosis / Q000187:drug effects; D002460:Cell Line; D049109:Cell Proliferation / Q000187:drug effects*; D002470:Cell Survival / Q000187:drug effects; D002478:Cells, Cultured; D003864:Depression, Chemical; D007306:Insecticides / Q000633:toxicity*; D008731:Methoxychlor / Q000633:toxicity*; D051379:Mice; D018485:Muscle Fibers, Skeletal / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000648:ultrastructure; D032446:Myoblasts / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000648:ultrastructure; D011950:Receptors, Cholinergic / Q000187:drug effects / Q000378:metabolism; D014343:Trypan Blue
D018171:Agrin; D007306:Insecticides; D011950:Receptors, Cholinergic; D014343:Trypan Blue; D008731:Methoxychlor