Related Experiment Video

Updated: Jul 14, 2026

Granulocyte-dependent Autoantibody-induced Skin Blistering
12:23

Granulocyte-dependent Autoantibody-induced Skin Blistering

Published on: October 12, 2012

Induction of cachexia in mice by systemically administered myostatin

Teresa A Zimmers1, Monique V Davies, Leonidas G Koniaris

  • 1Department of Molecular Biology and Genetics, Johns Hopkins School of Medicine, 725 North Wolfe Street, Baltimore, MD 21205, USA.

Science (New York, N.Y.)
|May 25, 2002
PubMed

Insights

Myostatin normally suppresses muscle growth. In adult mice, myostatin acts systemically, causing muscle and fat loss, and may be a target for treating muscle-wasting conditions.

Area of Science:

  • Biochemistry
  • Physiology
  • Genetics

Background:

  • Genetic deficiencies in myostatin lead to increased skeletal muscle mass in mice and cattle.
  • Myostatin is a known suppressor of muscle growth.
  • The timing of myostatin's effect (prenatal vs. postnatal) on muscle mass is unclear.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To investigate the systemic role of myostatin in adult animals.
  • To determine if myostatin activity can be modulated in adult mice.
  • To explore myostatin as a potential therapeutic target for muscle-wasting conditions.

Main Methods:

  • Assessing myostatin's circulating form and activation in adult mice.
  • Inducing systemic myostatin overexpression in adult mice.
  • Observing the effects of myostatin overexpression on muscle and fat mass.

Main Results:

  • Myostatin circulates in a latent form in adult mice, activatable by acid.
  • Systemic myostatin overexpression in adult mice caused significant muscle and fat loss.
  • The observed effects mimicked human cachexia syndromes.

Conclusions:

  • Myostatin acts systemically in adult animals.
  • Myostatin is a key regulator of muscle and fat mass postnatally.
  • Myostatin presents a potential pharmacologic target for conditions involving muscle loss, such as cachexia.

More Related Videos

A Mouse Model of Pulmonary Fibrosis Induced by Nasal Bleomycin Nebulization02:46

A Mouse Model of Pulmonary Fibrosis Induced by Nasal Bleomycin Nebulization

Published on: January 20, 2023

Mechanism of Kemeng Fang's Inhibition of Podocyte Apoptosis in Rats with Membranous Nephropathy through the PI3K/AKT Signaling Pathway07:15

Mechanism of Kemeng Fang's Inhibition of Podocyte Apoptosis in Rats with Membranous Nephropathy through the PI3K/AKT Signaling Pathway

Published on: August 23, 2024

Related Concept Videos

Cholinergic Receptors: Muscarinic01:25

Cholinergic Receptors: Muscarinic

The pharmacological actions of acetylcholine are elicited via its binding to two families of cholinergic receptors or cholinoceptors, namely, muscarinic and nicotinic receptors. Muscarinic receptors are G protein-coupled receptors and have five subtypes, M1–M5. All mAChR subtypes are activated by acetylcholine and blocked by the antagonist, atropine. 
The subtypes M1, M3, and M5 couple with the Gq subunit and activate the phospholipase C (PLC) activity, mobilizing intracellular Ca2+. Activation...
Direct-Acting Cholinergic Agonists: Pharmacological Actions00:59

Direct-Acting Cholinergic Agonists: Pharmacological Actions

Direct-acting cholinergic agonists exert their pharmacological actions by mimicking the effects of acetylcholine on postsynaptic muscarinic receptors to generate parasympathetic responses. These agents elicit a range of physiological responses, including cardiovascular effects. For example, activation of muscarinic receptors induces bradycardia, decreased cardiac output, reduced peripheral resistance, and consequent hypotension. In the eye, stimulation of M3 receptors leads to smooth muscle...
Direct-Acting Cholinergic Agonists: Therapeutic Uses01:11

Direct-Acting Cholinergic Agonists: Therapeutic Uses

Direct-acting cholinergic agonists have many therapeutic uses in various medical fields. Choline esters, including acetylcholine, have limited clinical utility due to their non-selectivity and short duration of action. Still, acetylcholine and carbachol are applied topically during ophthalmologic surgery to induce miosis. Pilocarpine, a muscarinic and ganglionic stimulator, effectively treats open-angle glaucoma and alleviates xerostomia and dry mouth caused by radiotherapy or Sjögren syndrome.
Cholinergic Antagonists: Pharmacokinetics01:24

Cholinergic Antagonists: Pharmacokinetics

Cholinergic antagonists—such as antimuscarinics—are available in oral, topical, ocular, parenteral, and inhalational formulations. Most antimuscarinics are oral formulations,  while scopolamine is available as a topical patch, and ipratropium and tiotropium are available as inhalation aerosols or powders. Atropine, tropicamide, and cyclopentolate are topically instilled in the eye. Most antimuscarinics are lipid-soluble and readily absorbed from the gastrointestinal tract and the conjunctiva.
Cholinergic Antagonists: Pharmacological Actions01:28

Cholinergic Antagonists: Pharmacological Actions

Antimuscarinic drugs block muscarinic receptors in multiple systems, including the gut, eye, smooth muscles, respiratory tract, cardiovascular, and central nervous systems. They produce similar effects with varying selectivity depending on the specific agent and tissue. Here are the key pharmacological actions of antimuscarinics:
Gastrointestinal Effects: Antimuscarinics reduce gut contractions, increase gastric emptying, and slow intestinal transit. They partly inhibit gastric acid secretion...