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This Article Full Text Full Text (PDF) All Versions of this Article: 91/6/983    most recent expphysiol.2006.033571v1 Alert me when this article is cited Alert me if a correction is posted Services Email this article to a friend Similar articles in this journal Similar articles in PubMed Alert me to new issues of the journal Download to citation manager Citing Articles Citing Articles via Google Scholar Google Scholar Articles by Matsakas, A. Articles by Patruno, M. Search for Related Content PubMed PubMed Citation Articles by Matsakas, A. Articles by Patruno, M.

Departments of ¹ Human Anatomy and Physiology² Experimental Veterinary Sciences, (Istituto Interuniversitario di Miologia) University of Padova, 35020 Padova, Italy

The aim of this study was to test the hypothesis that swimming training might impact differentially myostatin expression in skeletal muscles, depending on fibre type composition, and in cardiac muscle of rats. Myostatin expression was analysed by real time reverse transcriptase-polymerase chain reaction, Western blot and immunohistochemistry of the red deep portion (mainly composed of slow and type II A fibres) and in the superficial, white portion (composed of fast type II X and II B fibres) of the gastrocnemius muscle in adult male Wistar rats: (i) subjected to two consecutive swimming bouts for 3 h; (ii) subjected to intensive swimming training for 4 weeks; and (iii) sedentary control rats. Myostatin mRNA content was in all cases higher in white than in red muscles. Two bouts of swimming did not alter myostatin expression, whereas swimming training for 4 weeks resulted in a significant reduction of myostatin mRNA contents, significant both in white and red muscles but more pronounced in white muscles. Western blot did not detect any change in the amount of myostatin protein. Immunohistochemistry showed that, in control rats, myostatin was localized in presumptive satellite cells of a few muscle fibres. After training, the number of myostatin-positive spots decreased significantly. Myostatin mRNA content in cardiac muscle was lower than in skeletal muscle and was significantly increased by swimming training. In conclusion, the results obtained showed that intense training caused a decreased expression of myostatin mRNA in white and red skeletal muscles but an increase in cardiac muscle.

(Received 22 March 2006; accepted after revision 27 July 2006; first published online 27 July 2006)
Corresponding author M. Patruno: Department of Experimental Veterinary Sciences, University of Padova, 35020 Legnaro, Padova, Italy. Email: marco.pat{at}unipd.it