2009 Fiscal Year Final Research Report

Cellular and molecular responses to elevated pressure stimulus in skeletal myocytes

Research Project

Project/Area Number	19700525
Research Category	Grant-in-Aid for Young Scientists (B)
Allocation Type	Single-year Grants
Research Field	Sports science
Research Institution	Hokkaido University of Education (2008-2009) Asai Gakuen University (2007)
Principal Investigator	MORITA Noriteru Hokkaido University of Education, 教育学部, 准教授 (10382540)
Project Period (FY)	2007 – 2009
Keywords	メカニカルストレス / 筋細胞 / myogenesis / 圧力
Research Abstract	It is not yet clear that how mechanical stimuli during muscle contraction, such as stretch and pressure stresses, affect skeletal myocyte differentiation. The purpose of this study was to examine the effects of pure pressure stimulus on muscle differentiation in differentiating myoblasts. Atmospheric pressure at 160 mmHg, which is equivalent to calf muscle intramuscular pressure during locomotion, was applied to early phase of L6 myoblast differentiation. Compared to controls kept under normal pressure, the number of fused myoblasts reduced after pressurization. Myogenin and myosin heavy chain proteins in the pressurized cells were lowered. These results suggest that elevated intramuscular pressure may suppress myogenic differentiation from myoblasts to myotubes in contracted skeletal muscles.