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Published on: October 19, 2013
Antioxidants protect rat diaphragmatic muscle function under hypoxic conditions
P Mohanraj1, A J Merola, V P Wright
1Department of Physiology, Pulmonary and Critical Care Division, The Ohio State University, Columbus, Ohio 43210, USA.
Journal of Applied Physiology (Bethesda, Md. : 1985)
|June 11, 1998
Summary
Antioxidants protect skeletal muscle function during low oxygen conditions (hypoxia). These compounds improve muscle performance during hypoxia and aid recovery after oxygen is restored, demonstrating their protective role in reducing environments.
Area of Science:
- Biochemistry
- Physiology
- Cell Biology
Background:
- Hypoxia decreases mitochondrial respiration, causing reductive stress.
- Reductive stress can paradoxically increase reactive oxygen species (ROS) or impair oxidative defense.
- Antioxidants are hypothesized to protect tissues from hypoxic damage.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the protective effects of antioxidants on skeletal muscle function under hypoxic conditions.
- To determine if antioxidants can attenuate contractile dysfunction during hypoxia and improve recovery upon reoxygenation.
Main Methods:
- Rat diaphragm strips were incubated with one of four antioxidants: N-acetyl-L-cysteine, dimethyl sulfoxide, superoxide dismutase, or Tiron.
- Muscle strips were electrically stimulated to assess force-frequency relationships.
- Contractile function was measured under baseline oxygenation, during hypoxia, and after reoxygenation.
Main Results:
- Antioxidants significantly attenuated the loss of contractile function during hypoxia (P < 0.01).
- Antioxidants significantly improved the recovery of contractile function upon reoxygenation (P < 0.05).
- Both intracellular and extracellular antioxidants demonstrated protective effects.
Conclusions:
- Antioxidants protect skeletal muscle contractile function in vitro during hypoxia.
- Antioxidants facilitate functional recovery of skeletal muscle after reoxygenation.
- The findings suggest antioxidants are effective in protecting cellular function in reducing environments, similar to their known effects in oxidizing environments.
