title: Ghrelin inhibits skeletal muscle protein breakdown in rats with thermal injury through normalizing elevated expression of E3 ubiquitin ligases MuRF1 and MAFbx.
abstract: We previously determined that ghrelin synthesis was downregulated after burn injury and that exogenous ghrelin retained its ability both to stimulate food intake and to restore plasma growth hormone levels in burned rats. These observations and the finding that anabolic hormones can attenuate skeletal muscle catabolism led us to investigate whether ghrelin could attenuate burn-induced skeletal muscle protein breakdown in rats. These studies were performed in young rats (50-60 g) 24 h after approximately 30% total body surface area burn injury. Burn injury increased total and myofibrillar protein breakdown in extensor digitorum longus (EDL) muscles assessed by in vitro tyrosine and 3-methyl-histidine release, respectively. Continuous 24-h administration of ghrelin (0.2 mg.kg(-1).h(-1)) significantly inhibited both total and myofibrillar protein breakdown in burned rats. Ghrelin significantly attenuated burn-induced changes in mRNA expression of IGFBP-1 and IGFBP-3 in liver. In EDL, ghrelin attenuated the increases in mRNA expression of the binding proteins, but had no significant effect on reduced expression of IGF-I. Ghrelin markedly reduced the elevated mRNA expression of TNF-alpha and IL-6 in EDL muscle that occurred after burn. Moreover, ghrelin normalized plasma glucocorticoid levels, which were elevated after burn. Expression of the muscle-specific ubiquitin-ligating enzyme (E3) ubiquitin ligases MuRF1 and MAFbx were markedly elevated in both EDL and gastrocnemius and were normalized by ghrelin. These results suggest that ghrelin is a powerful anticatabolic compound that reduces skeletal muscle protein breakdown through attenuating multiple burn-induced abnormalities.
authors.affiliation: Department of Surgery, University of Cincinnati College of Medicine, 231 Albert Sabin Way, Cincinnati, OH 45267-0558. ambi.bala@uc.edu
authors.forename: Ambikaipakan
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Balasubramaniam
authors.forename: Rashika
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Joshi
authors.forename: Chunhua
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Su
authors.forename: Lou Ann
authors.initials: LA
authors.lastname: Friend
authors.forename: Sulaiman
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Sheriff
authors.forename: Richard J
authors.initials: RJ
authors.lastname: Kagan
authors.forename: J Howard
authors.initials: JH
authors.lastname: James
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D002056:Burns / Q000150:complications* / Q000201:enzymology; D002100:Cachexia / Q000201:enzymology / Q000209:etiology / Q000517:prevention & control*; D004195:Disease Models, Animal; D054439:Ghrelin / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000378:metabolism*; D005938:Glucocorticoids / Q000097:blood; D015918:Infusion Pumps, Implantable; D018970:Insulin-Like Growth Factor Binding Protein 1 / Q000378:metabolism; D018972:Insulin-Like Growth Factor Binding Protein 3 / Q000378:metabolism; D015850:Interleukin-6 / Q000378:metabolism; D008099:Liver / Q000378:metabolism; D008297:Male; D009124:Muscle Proteins / Q000378:metabolism*; D018482:Muscle, Skeletal / Q000201:enzymology*; D012333:RNA, Messenger / Q000378:metabolism; D051381:Rats; D017207:Rats, Sprague-Dawley; D044843:SKP Cullin F-Box Protein Ligases / Q000378:metabolism*; D000070584:Tripartite Motif Proteins; D014409:Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha / Q000378:metabolism; D044767:Ubiquitin-Protein Ligases / Q000378:metabolism*
chemical_list: D054439:Ghrelin; D005938:Glucocorticoids; D018970:Insulin-Like Growth Factor Binding Protein 1; D018972:Insulin-Like Growth Factor Binding Protein 3; D015850:Interleukin-6; D009124:Muscle Proteins; D012333:RNA, Messenger; D000070584:Tripartite Motif Proteins; D014409:Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha; C486692:Fbxo32 protein, rat; D044843:SKP Cullin F-Box Protein Ligases; C499086:Trim63 protein, rat; D044767:Ubiquitin-Protein Ligases