skeletal muscle adaptation in response to chronic oral corticosterone treatment in c57bl/6n mice
abstract
chronic exposure to elevated glucocorticoid levels represents a significant
concern for researchers, healthcare professionals, and the general public. in various
disorders and diseases (such as cushing syndrome and major depressive disorder),
levels of these endogenous stress hormones are chronically elevated. treatment with
glucocorticoids over prolonged periods, as seen in treatment of autoimmune disorders
such as rheumatoid arthritis, also results in chronically elevated glucocorticoid levels
and poses a significant health concern. while it is generally accepted that chronic
glucocorticoid treatment results in skeletal muscle myopathy, less is known about the
specific effects of this treatment on functionally different muscle groups and key
skeletal muscle structures. the objective of the current study was to determine whether
skeletal muscle atrophy is induced in the gastrocnemius/plantaris and soleus by chronic
corticosterone (cort) treatment at doses mimicking physiological stress conditions and
to examine the effects of chronic glucocorticoid treatment on key skeletal muscle
structures. c57bl/6n mice were dosed with 100μg/ml cort in drinking water over a
period of 4 weeks then compared to naïve (untreated) and vehicle control (<1% ethanol
in drinking water) groups. [...]