title: Angelica Sinensis promotes myotube hypertrophy through the PI3K/Akt/mTOR pathway.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Angelica Sinensis (AS), a folk medicine, has long been used in ergogenic aids for athletes, but there is little scientific evidence supporting its effects. We investigated whether AS induces hypertrophy in myotubes through the phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase (PI3K)/Akt (also termed PKB)/mammalian target of the rapamycin (mTOR) pathway.
  
  
  METHODS
  An in vitro experiment investigating the induction of hypertrophy in myotubes was conducted. To investigate whether AS promoted the hypertrophy of myotubes, an established in vitro model of myotube hypertrophy with and without AS was used and examined using microscopic images. The role of the PI3K/Akt/mTOR signaling pathway in AS-induced myotube hypertrophy was evaluated. Two inhibitors, wortmannin (an inhibitor of PI3K) and rapamycin (an inhibitor of mTOR), were used.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The results revealed that the myotube diameters in the AS-treated group were significantly larger than those in the untreated control group (P < 0.05). Wortmannin and rapamycin inhibited AS-induced hypertrophy. Furthermore, AS increased Akt and mTOR phosphorylation through the PI3K pathway and induced myotube hypertrophy.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The results confirmed that AS induces hypertrophy in myotubes through the PI3K/Akt/mTOR pathway.
authors.forename: Tzu-Shao
authors.initials: TS
authors.lastname: Yeh
authors.forename: Cheng-Chen
authors.initials: CC
authors.lastname: Hsu
authors.forename: Suh-Ching
authors.initials: SC
authors.lastname: Yang
authors.affiliation: School of Nutrition and Health Sciences, Taipei Medical University, Taipei 11031, Taiwan. meichich@kmu.edu.tw.
authors.forename: Mei-Chich
authors.initials: MC
authors.lastname: Hsu
authors.forename: Jen-Fang
authors.initials: JF
authors.lastname: Liu
mesh_terms: D029971:Angelica sinensis / Q000737:chemistry*; D000818:Animals; D002460:Cell Line; D004365:Drugs, Chinese Herbal / Q000494:pharmacology*; D006984:Hypertrophy; D051379:Mice; D018485:Muscle Fibers, Skeletal / Q000166:cytology* / Q000187:drug effects / Q000201:enzymology*; D058539:Phosphatidylinositol 3-Kinase / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*; D010766:Phosphorylation / Q000187:drug effects; D051057:Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-akt / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*; D015398:Signal Transduction / Q000187:drug effects*; D058570:TOR Serine-Threonine Kinases / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*
chemical_list: D004365:Drugs, Chinese Herbal; D058539:Phosphatidylinositol 3-Kinase; D051057:Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-akt; D058570:TOR Serine-Threonine Kinases