Isoproterenol ameliorates workstress-induced rat skeletal muscle degeneration

Beta-Agonists though have been widely studied for their protein anabolic effects in skeletal muscles, but the lipid status under work stress and agonist treatment have not been understood well in the skeletal muscles and heart of rat. In the present study, adult male Wistar rats were subjected to work overload stress and beta agonist isoproterenol treatment (2 mg kg(-1) day(-1) intraperitoneally) to examine, whether it attenuates work stress-induced changes or not. Simultaneously, beta2 antagonist butoxamine (2 mg kg(-1) day(-1) intraperitoneally) was administered to another isoproterenol-treated group. Work stress led to myofibrillar degeneration as well as rapid utilization of lipid to meet increased energy demands and for muscle repair, which was reflected through histochemical localization of lipids and biochemical estimation of cholesterol and triglycerides. Significantly decreased cholesterol levels in skeletal muscles and heart muscles were noticed. As expected, isoproterenol reversed the conditions by raising cholesterol and triglyceride levels significantly in the skeletal muscles and also by ameliorating the degenerative changes in muscle fibres as induced by work overload. However, severe accumulation of lipids in heart infers towards deleterious effects of isoproterenol on heart and thus remains a limiting factor for its immediate clinical application. Further research is needed to separate desirable effects of beta agonists on skeletal muscles from any undesirable effects on the heart, so as to optimize their therapeutic potential.