Influence of hyperbaric oxygen treatment on myogenic transcriptional factors of denervated rat muscle.

The aim of this study was to determine whether hyperbaric oxygen (HBo2) treatment influences the expression of transcriptional myogenic factors in denervated rat's extensor digitorum longus muscle. Thus, expressing regulatory myogenic factors MyoD and myogenin were analyzed in denervated muscles (up to 30 days). Second group of denervated rats were afterwards treated with HBO2. Normal, innervated muscles were used as controls. Western blot analysis showed a significant upregulation of MyoD and myogenin proteins in denervated muscle during this period. Denervated muscles of rats exposed to HBO2 treatment had also significant upregulation of both transcriptional factors but the treatment had not altered their expression. The immunohistochemical analysis showed MyoD and myogenin protein expression through this period in the denervated, untreated muscles and in denervated muscles of rats treated with HBO2, too. One month denervation caused a reduction in muscle fiber cross-sectional area. The treatment with HBO2 had not reduced the degree of atrophy. The protocol of hyperbaric oxygenation (HBO) applied in this study had no beneficial effect either on transcriptional myogenic factors or on atrophy of denervated rat muscle.