Atrophy and growth failure of rat hindlimb muscles in tail-cast suspension

Atrophy and growth failure of muscle in a tail-cast suspension model were evaluated in hindlimbs of female Sprague-Dawley rats. Based on measurements of food consumption, animal growth rate, urinary excretion of urea and ammonia, and muscle size, 6 days seemed to be the optimum duration of suspension for studying muscle unloading. After 6 days, the soleus, plantaris, and gastrocnemius muscles from suspended animals were 27, 10, and 11% smaller (P less than 0.05), respectively, than those from tail-casted weight-bearing animals. The extensor digitorum longus and tibialis anterior muscles were unaffected by suspension (less than or equal to 6 days) while the triceps brachii hypertrophied (8%, P less than 0.05). Wet weight-to-dry weight ratios were smaller in the plantaris (-0.19, P less than 0.05) and gastrocnemius (-0.19, P less than 0.05) muscles from suspended rats. In the plantaris, this difference coincided with a higher protein concentration (+12 mg/g, P less than 0.001). In vitro measurements of protein metabolism in the soleus muscles of suspended rats showed both slower protein synthesis (P less than 0.05) and faster protein degradation (P less than 0.05), whereas these processes were unaltered in the extensor digitorum longus muscles.