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Updated: Feb 3, 2026

Modeling Myotonic Dystrophy 1 in C2C12 Myoblast Cells
Published on: July 29, 2016
Evidence for acute contraction-induced myokine secretion by C2C12 myotubes
Yasuro Furuichi1, Yasuko Manabe1, Mayumi Takagi1
1Department of Health Promotion Sciences, Graduate School of Human Health Sciences, Tokyo Metropolitan University, Tokyo, Japan.
Abstract:
Skeletal muscle is considered a secretory organ that produces bioactive proteins known as myokines, which are released in response to various stimuli. However, no experimental evidence exists regarding the mechanism by which acute muscle contraction regulates myokine secretion. Here, we present evidence that acute contractions induced myokine secretion from C2C12 myotubes. Changes in the cell culture medium unexpectedly triggered the release of large amounts of proteins from the myotubes, and these proteins obscured the contraction-induced myokine secretion. Once protein release was abolished, the secretion of interleukin-6 (IL-6), the best-known regulatory myokine, increased in response to a 1-hour contraction evoked by electrical stimulation. Using this experimental condition, intracellular calcium flux, rather than the contraction itself, triggered contraction-induced IL-6 secretion. This is the first report to show an evidence for acute contraction-induced myokine secretion by skeletal muscle cells.
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