Effect of oestrogen on myofibre size and myosin expression in growing rats

This study examined the effect of oestrogen deprivation and replacement on plantaris muscle size and myosin heavy chain (MHC) isoform composition in rats during a period of physiological growth. Seven-week-old female Sprague-Dawley rats were assigned to one of the three treatment groups: (1) control animals (Sham); (2) ovariectomized animals without oestrogen replacement (OVX/CO); and (3) ovariectomized animals with 17beta-oestradiol replacement (OVX/E2). OVX/CO and OVX/E2 animals were pair-fed with Sham animals to rule out the potentially confounding effects of differences in food intake and weight gain. Rats were killed 4 weeks after surgery and the plantaris muscle was removed for analysis. Ovariectomy had no effect on muscle fibre size, but reduced the relative amount of type IIx MHC. This was reversed with oestrogen replacement, suggesting that the reduction in type IIx MHC expression was an oestrogen-mediated effect. Oestrogen replacement reduced type IIb MHC expression and fast muscle fibre size. Changes in fast fibre size and type IIb MHC expression were not seen with ovariectomy, indicating that these changes were not simply due to the presence of oestrogen in the ovariectomized, oestrogen-replaced animals. These results suggest that another ovarian hormone may counteract the effect of oestrogen on fast fibre size and type IIb MHC expression in intact animals.