Salidroside mitigates skeletal muscle atrophy in rats with cigarette smoke-induced COPD by up-regulating myogenin and down-regulating myostatin expression

Biosci Rep. 2019 Nov 29;39(11):BSR20190440. doi: 10.1042/BSR20190440.

Abstract

Objectives: The present study aimed at investigating the therapeutic effect of Salidroside on skeletal muscle atrophy in a rat model of cigarette smoking-induced chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) and its potential mechanisms.

Methods: Male Wistar rats were randomized, and treated intraperitoneally (IP) with vehicle (injectable water) or a low, medium or high dose of Salidroside, followed by exposure to cigarette smoking daily for 16 weeks. A healthy control received vehicle injection and air exposure. Their lung function, body weights and gastrocnemius (GN) weights, grip strength and cross-section area (CSA) of individual muscular fibers in the GN were measured. The levels of TNF-α, IL-6, malondialdehyde (MDA), superoxide dismutase (SOD), glutathione (GSH) in serum and GN tissues as well as myostatin and myogenin expression in GN tissues were measured.

Results: In comparison with that in the healthy control, long-term cigarette smoking induced emphysema, significantly impaired lung function, reduced body and GN weights and CSA values in rats, accompanied by significantly increased levels of TNF-α, IL-6 and MDA, but decreased levels of SOD and GSH in serum and GN tissues. Furthermore, cigarette smoking significantly up-regulated myostatin expression, but down-regulated myogenin expression in GN tissues. Salidroside treatment decreased emphysema, significantly ameliorated lung function, increased antioxidant, but reduced MDA, IL-6 and TNF-α levels in serum and GN tissues of rats, accompanied by decreased myostain, but increased myogenin expression in GN tissues.

Conclusion: Salidroside mitigates the long-term cigarette smoking-induced emphysema and skeletal muscle atrophy in rats by inhibiting oxidative stress and inflammatory responses and regulating muscle-specific transcription factor expression.

Keywords: Muscle dystrophy; Muscle-specific transcription factors; Salidroside; chronic obstructive pulmonary disease.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Animals
  • Antioxidants / metabolism
  • Disease Models, Animal
  • Down-Regulation / physiology*
  • Glucosides / pharmacology*
  • Lung / drug effects
  • Male
  • Muscle, Skeletal / metabolism
  • Muscular Atrophy / metabolism*
  • Myogenin / metabolism*
  • Myostatin / metabolism*
  • Nicotiana / adverse effects
  • Phenols / pharmacology*
  • Pulmonary Disease, Chronic Obstructive / metabolism*
  • Pulmonary Emphysema / metabolism
  • Rats
  • Rats, Wistar
  • Smoke / adverse effects
  • Smoking / adverse effects
  • Up-Regulation / physiology*

Substances

  • Antioxidants
  • Glucosides
  • Myogenin
  • Myostatin
  • Phenols
  • Smoke
  • rhodioloside