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Muscle atrophy associated with microgravity in rat: basic data for countermeasures.

M Falempin1, Y Mounier

  • 1Laboratoire de Physiologie des Structures Contractiles, Universite des Sciences et Technologies de Lille, France.

Acta Astronautica
|September 7, 2001
PubMed
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Muscle unloading causes atrophy and slow-to-fast fiber changes, but deafferentation prevents fiber type shifts. Mechanical strain drives atrophy, while nervous signals modulate kinetic changes, suggesting stretching and electrostimulation as countermeasures.

Area of Science:

  • Physiology
  • Muscle Biology
  • Neuroscience

Background:

  • Muscle unloading leads to atrophy and altered contractile properties.
  • Slow-twitch muscles exhibit a shift towards faster types under unloading conditions.
  • The role of nervous input in modulating these adaptations is not fully understood.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To investigate the effects of unloading and deafferentation on rat soleus muscle.
  • To determine the influence of nervous command on unloading-induced muscle changes.
  • To evaluate potential countermeasures against muscle unloading.

Main Methods:

  • Rat soleus muscles were subjected to unloading (HS) and unloading with deafferentation (HS + DEAF).
  • Morphological, contractile properties, and myosin heavy chain (MHC) composition were analyzed.

Related Experiment Videos

  • Electrostimulation and immobilization in a stretched position were tested as interventions.

    • Main Results:

    • Both HS and HS + DEAF caused significant reductions in muscle mass and tetanic tension.
    • HS induced slow-to-fast fiber transformation (decreased twitch time, increased fast MHC isoforms), which was prevented by deafferentation.
    • Nervous firing patterns similar to slow-twitch muscles inhibited slow-to-fast fiber changes during HS.
    • Electrostimulation did not prevent mass or force loss; stretching maintained muscle characteristics.

    Conclusions:

    • Reduced mechanical strain is the primary driver of muscle atrophy during unloading.
    • Nervous command predominantly modulates the kinetic changes associated with unloading.
    • Stretching and electrostimulation show potential as countermeasures for unloading-induced muscle loss and functional decline.