Ursolic Acid Improve Skeletal Muscle Hypertrophy by Increasing of PAX7, Myod and Myogenin Expression and Satellite Cells Proliferation in Native Broiler Chickens

Ursolic acid (UA) is known as a naturally occurring triterpene pentacyclic compound in some medicinal herbs including savory that affects the skeletal muscle. In the current study, the effect of UA was evaluated on C2C12 cells and satellite cells (SCs) isolated from native broiler chicks. First in the in vitro experiment, the C2C12 cell line obtained from the Stem Cell Technology Research Center and the SCs were isolated and purified from one-day chickens and then treated with UA. In the in vivo experiment, UA was injected intramuscularly based on the body weight to chicks during the first seven days, two times a day, from day one to day seven by the appropriate dose obtained in the in vitro experiment, and then SCs were isolated from pectoralis muscle at the last day. The purification was confirmed by assessment of PAX-7 expression in both in vitro and in vivo experiments. In fact, SCs and C2C12 cells were cultured for seven days in 10% serum medium with vehicle alone (0.1% DMSO) or UA (0.00025, 0.0005, 0.001, 0.0015 and 0.002 mg/mL) along with DMSO (1 mL). The findings from the in vitro and in vivo experiments revealed that UA at 0.00025 mg/mL significantly increased the expression of genes involved in the SCs proliferation and differentiation including PAX-7, MyoD and Myogenin, and improve the muscle hypertrophy. As a result, UA can be suggested as a suitable material to reduce the breeding period and faster growth of skeletal muscle in broiler chickens.