In vitro muscle contraction: A technical review on electrical pulse stimulation in C2C12 cells.

Area of Science:

• Muscle physiology and cell biology
• Biomedical engineering and exercise science

Background:

• Electrical pulse stimulation (EPS) is vital for in vitro skeletal muscle exercise modeling.
• Variability in EPS protocols across studies using C2C12 myotubes hinders reproducibility.
• Standardizing EPS parameters is crucial for reliable and comparable research outcomes.

Purpose of the Study:

• To review and analyze common Electrical Pulse Stimulation (EPS) protocols in C2C12 myotube studies.
• To identify frequently used EPS parameters (pulse duration, frequency, voltage, stimulation duration).
• To summarize biological processes investigated using EPS in C2C12 models.

Main Methods:

• Systematic review of 54 peer-reviewed studies utilizing EPS in C2C12 cells.
• Extraction and analysis of EPS protocol parameters.
• Summarization of biological endpoints and research topics.

Main Results:

• Most studies used 2 ms pulses at 1 Hz and 10-20 V for over 24 h.
• Glucose uptake, AMPK activation, inflammation, and mitochondrial adaptations were common research endpoints.
• Interdependence between pulse duration, voltage, and stimulation duration was observed, with frequency being more standardized.

Conclusions:

• Significant variation exists in EPS voltage and pulse duration, impacting experimental outcomes.
• Standardized reporting and deliberate protocol design are needed for translational relevance.
• This review provides a resource for selecting appropriate EPS parameters for specific research objectives.