[Shenshuai Yingyang capsule ameliorates muscle atrophy in rats with chronic renal failure: role of Wnt7a-Akt/mTOR signal pathway].
OBJECTIVE
To observe the effect of Shenshuai Yingyang Capsule (SSYYJN) in ameliorating muscle atrophy in rats with chronic renal failure (CRF) and explore the role of Wnt7a-Akt/mTOR signal pathway in mediating this effect.


METHODS
Male rats were randomly assigned to 5/6 nephrectomy group and sham-operated group, and the former group was further randomly divided into CRF model group, KA group, and SSYYJN group. The size of anterior tibia muscle was examined microscopically with HE staining. Protein synthesis in the soleus muscle was investigated by (14)C-phenylalanine experiment, and the expression of Wnt7a, frizzled-7, phospho-Akt, phospho-mTOR and GAPDH were detected with Western blotting.


RESULTS
The body weight, the wet and dry weight, cross-sectional area, and muscle protein synthesis of the anterior tibia muscles, and expressions of the proteins in the Wnt7a/Akt signaling pathway all increased significantly in SSYYJN and KA groups as compared with those in the model group.


CONCLUSIONS
SSYYJN can effectively improve muscle atrophy in the rat model of CRF possibly by reversing the reduction in the expressions of Wnt7a/Akt signaling pathway proteins in the skeletal muscles.
Nephropathy Center of TCM-Integrated Medicine, Zhujiang Hospital, Guangzhou 510282, China. E-mail: wming1999@163.com.
Ming
M
Wang
Dongtao
D
Wang
Yi
Y
Yin
Lu
L
Lu
Ying
Y
Shi
Yanfeng
Y
Huang
Dexiu
D
Chen
Lianbo
L
Wei
D000818:Animals; D002214:Capsules; D004365:Drugs, Chinese Herbal / Q000494:pharmacology*; D007676:Kidney Failure, Chronic / Q000150:complications*; D008297:Male; D009124:Muscle Proteins / Q000096:biosynthesis; D018482:Muscle, Skeletal / Q000187:drug effects; D009133:Muscular Atrophy / Q000188:drug therapy*; D009392:Nephrectomy; D011518:Proto-Oncogene Proteins / Q000378:metabolism*; D051381:Rats; D015398:Signal Transduction; D058570:TOR Serine-Threonine Kinases / Q000378:metabolism*; D051153:Wnt Proteins / Q000378:metabolism*
D002214:Capsules; D004365:Drugs, Chinese Herbal; D009124:Muscle Proteins; D011518:Proto-Oncogene Proteins; D051153:Wnt Proteins; C490507:Wnt7a protein, rat; C546845:mTOR protein, rat; D058570:TOR Serine-Threonine Kinases