Establishment of myotube contractile force and the molecular mechanisms underlying muscle atrophy

2020 Fiscal Year Final Research Report

• Project/Area Number: 17H02159
• Research Category: Grant-in-Aid for Scientific Research (B)
• Allocation Type: Single-year Grants
• Section: 一般
• Research Field: Sports science
• Research Institution: Tokyo Metropolitan University
• Principal Investigator: Manabe Yasuko 東京都立大学, 人間健康科学研究科, 准教授 (60467412)
• Co-Investigator(Kenkyū-buntansha): 出口 真次 大阪大学, 基礎工学研究科, 教授 (30379713) ; 古市 泰郎 東京都立大学, 人間健康科学研究科, 助教 (40733035) ; 松井 翼 大阪大学, 基礎工学研究科, 講師 (50638707)
• Project Period (FY): 2017-04-01 – 2021-03-31
• Keywords: 骨格筋 / 筋収縮

Outline of Final Research Achievements

The purpose of this study is to establish the evaluation system for myotube contractility using locally formed micro-wrinkles on the silicon substrate. Mouse skeletal muscle primary myoblasts were seeded on the silicon substrate with the appropriate hardness adjusted for skeletal muscle cells and differentiated to the myotubes. When the myotubes were stimulated by electric pulse, the wrinkles formed on the silicon substrate in response to myotube contraction. The force index as an indicator of muscle contractile force was calculated by the total wrinkle length of the first three contractions. In this system, the contractile force of atrophy model myotubes was significantly reduced, while that of hypertrophy myotubes was significantly increased. These results show that our proposed myotube contractility assay system is suitable to assess muscle quality as an index of contractile force.

Free Research Field

骨格筋細胞

Academic Significance and Societal Importance of the Research Achievements

本研究では、シリコーン上に蒔いた筋細胞を分化させ、電気刺激により細胞が収縮する時にできるシワの長さを計測することで、細胞の収縮力を評価する系を構築した。これまで、骨格筋細胞で収縮力を測定する方法はなく、本研究で細胞の収縮力を簡便かつ客観的に測定できる系を構築できたことの学術的意義は大きい。さらに本研究で構築した系を用いると、筋萎縮を抑制したり、筋の発揮張力を増強する食品成分・薬剤のスクリーニングにも応用することでき、社会的な意義は大きい。