Genetic polymorphisms and sex differences are suggested to affect muscle fiber composition; however, no study has investigated the effects of genetic polymorphisms on muscle fiber composition with respect to sex differences. Therefore, the present study examined the effects of genetic polymorphisms on muscle fiber composition with respect to sex differences in the Japanese population. The present study included 211 healthy Japanese individuals (102 men and 109 women). Muscle biopsies were obtained from the vastus lateralis to determine the proportion of myosin heavy chain (MHC) isoforms (MHC-I, MHC-IIa, and MHC-IIx). Moreover, we analyzed polymorphisms in α-actinin-3 gene ( ACTN3; rs1815739 ), angiotensin-converting enzyme gene ( ACE; rs4341 ), hypoxia-inducible factor 1 α gene ( rs11549465 ), vascular endothelial growth factor receptor 2 gene ( rs1870377 ), and angiotensin II receptor, type 2 gene ( rs11091046 ), by TaqMan single-nucleotide polymorphism genotyping assays. The proportion of MHC-I was 9.8% lower in men than in women, whereas the proportion of MHC-IIa and MHC-IIx was higher in men than in women (5.0 and 4.6%, respectively). Men with the ACTN3 RR + RX genotype had a 4.8% higher proportion of MHC-IIx than those with the ACTN3 XX genotype. Moreover, men with the ACE ID + DD genotype had a 4.7% higher proportion of MHC-I than those with the ACE II genotype. Furthermore, a combined genotype of ACTN3 R577X and ACE insertion/deletion (I/D) was significantly correlated with the proportion of MHC-I ( r = -0.23) and MHC-IIx ( r = 0.27) in men. In contrast, no significant correlation was observed between the examined polymorphisms and muscle fiber composition in women. These results suggest that the ACTN3 R577X and ACE I/D polymorphisms independently affect the proportion of human skeletal muscle fibers MHC-I and MHC-IIx in men but not in women. NEW & NOTEWORTHY In men, the RR + RX genotype of the α-actinin-3 gene ( ACTN3) R577X polymorphism was associated with a higher proportion of myosin heavy chain (MHC)-IIx. The ID + DD genotype of the angiotensin-converting enzyme gene ( ACE) insertion/deletion (I/D) polymorphism, in contrast to a previous finding, was associated with a higher proportion of MHC-I in men. In addition, the combined genotype of these polymorphisms was correlated with the proportion of MHC-I and MHC-IIx in men. Thus ACTN3 R577X and ACE I/D polymorphisms influence the muscle fiber composition in Japanese men.
Keywords: ACE; ACTN3; myosin heavy chain isoform; polymorphism; sex difference.