Regulation of the procollagen type I (Proal) gene in cultured Ito cells by diverse cytokines was studied. Specifically, we have examined the effect of interleukin-1/3 (IL-lf¡), tumor necrosis factor a (TNFa), and transforming growth factor /3 (TGF/3) on collagen biosynthesis, levéis of Proal(I) mRNA, and rate of transcription of Proa 1(1) gene. TGF/? stimulated procollagen synthesis at least 2-...

Fish may be extremely hypoxia resistant. We investigated how muscle fibre size and oxidative capacity in zebrafish (Danio rerio) adapt during severe chronic hypoxia. Zebrafish were kept for either 3 or 6 weeks under chronic constant hypoxia (CCH) (10% air/90%N2 saturated water). We analyzed cross-sectional area (CSA), succinate dehydrogenase (SDH) activity, capillarization, myonuclear density, ...

BACKGROUND In the present study we investigated the effect of a 6-month aerobic exercise programme on the morphology of the gastrocnemius muscle of end-stage renal disease (ESRD) patients. METHODS Twenty-four ESRD patients volunteered to participate in the training programme and underwent muscle biopsy before training. Eighteen patients completed the training programme of whom nine agreed to ...

The effect of physical conditioning on skeletal muscle of individuals with spinal cord injuries (SCI) has been investigated. The anterior portion of the deltoid muscle (active in wheel-chair propulsion) of untrained and endurance-trained paraplegics and tetraplegics, as well as that of untrained able-bodied subjects, was studied. The characterization involved fibre type distribution, capillariz...

In most cell types, including resting skeletal muscle fibers, internal pH (pHi) is kept constant at a relatively alkaline level. The high pHi is obtained in spite of a chronic acid load resulting from cellular metabolism and passive influx of protons driven by electrochemical forces. Regulation of pHi depends on continuous activity of membrane transport systems that mediate an outflux of H+ (or...

BACKGROUND Mechanical stress, including blood pressure related factors, up-regulate expression of the pro-angiogenic extracellular matrix protein tenascin-C in skeletal muscle. We hypothesized that increased capillarization of skeletal muscle with the repeated augmentation in perfusion during endurance training is associated with blood vessel-related expression of tenascin-C and would be affect...

PGC-1α regulates critical processes in muscle physiology, including mitochondrial biogenesis, lipid metabolism and angiogenesis. Furthermore, PGC-1α was suggested as an important regulator of fiber type determination. However, whether a muscle fiber type-specific PGC-1α content exists, whether PGC-1α content relates to basal levels of mitochondrial content, and whether such relationships are pr...