Related Experiment Video
Updated: May 11, 2026

Induction of Acute Skeletal Muscle Regeneration by Cardiotoxin Injection
Published on: January 1, 2017
Interleukin-6 myokine signaling in skeletal muscle: a double-edged sword?
Pura Muñoz-Cánoves1, Camilla Scheele, Bente K Pedersen
1Cell Biology Group, Department of Experimental and Health Sciences, Pompeu Fabra University (UPF), Institució Catalana de Recerca i Estudis Avançats (ICREA), CIBER on Neurodegenerative diseases (CIBERNED), Barcelona, Spain. pura.munoz@upf.edu
Abstract:
Interleukin (IL)-6 is a cytokine with pleiotropic functions in different tissues and organs. Skeletal muscle produces and releases significant levels of IL-6 after prolonged exercise and is therefore considered as a myokine. Muscle is also an important target of the cytokine. IL-6 signaling has been associated with stimulation of hypertrophic muscle growth and myogenesis through regulation of the proliferative capacity of muscle stem cells. Additional beneficial effects of IL-6 include regulation of energy metabolism, which is related to the capacity of actively contracting muscle to synthesize and release IL-6. Paradoxically, deleterious actions for IL-6 have also been proposed, such as promotion of atrophy and muscle wasting. We review the current evidence for these apparently contradictory effects, the mechanisms involved and discuss their possible biological implications.
Related Concept Videos
The JAK-STAT Signaling Pathway
NF-κB-dependent Signaling Pathway
NF-κB-dependent Signaling Mechanism
The heterodimer of NF-κB...
PI3K/mTOR/AKT Signaling Pathway
Formation of Muscle Fibers from Myoblasts
Muscle progenitor cells (MPCs) are formed from the myotomes. MPCs express genes that encode the transcription factors Pax3 and Pax7. Along with Pax 3/7, other transcription factors...
Myocarditis I: Introduction