Short-time recovery skeletal muscle from dexamethasone-induced atrophy and weakness in old female rats

Karin Alev; Maire Aru; Arved Vain; Ando Pehme; Priit Kaasik; Teet Seene

doi:10.1016/j.clinbiomech.2022.105808

Short-time recovery skeletal muscle from dexamethasone-induced atrophy and weakness in old female rats

Clin Biomech (Bristol, Avon). 2022 Dec:100:105808. doi: 10.1016/j.clinbiomech.2022.105808. Epub 2022 Oct 25.

Authors

Karin Alev¹, Maire Aru², Arved Vain³, Ando Pehme⁴, Priit Kaasik⁴, Teet Seene⁴

Affiliations

¹ Institute of Sport Sciences and Physiotherapy, Faculty of Medicine University of Tartu, Estonia. Electronic address: karin.alev@ut.ee.
² Clinical Research Centre University of Tartu, Estonia.
³ Institute of Physics, Faculty of Science and Technology University Tartu, Estonia.
⁴ Institute of Sport Sciences and Physiotherapy, Faculty of Medicine University of Tartu, Estonia.

PMID: 36368193
DOI: 10.1016/j.clinbiomech.2022.105808

Abstract

Background: Several pathological conditions (atrophy, dystrophy, spasticity, inflammation) can change muscle biomechanical parameters. Our previous works have shown that dexamethasone treatment changes skeletal muscle tone, stiffness, elasticity. Exercise training may oppose the side effects observed during dexamethasone treatment. The purpose of this study was to examine the changes in biomechanical parameters (tone, stiffness, elasticity) of skeletal muscle occurring during dexamethasone treatment and subsequent short-time recovery from glucocorticoid-induced muscle atrophy and weakness, as well as the effect of mild therapeutic exercise.

Methods: 17 old female rats, aged 22 months were used in this study. The hand-held and non-invasive device (MyotonPRO, Myoton Ltd., Tallinn, Estonia) was used to study changes in biomechanical properties of muscle. Additionally, body and muscle mass, hind limb grip strength were assessed.

Findings: Results showed that dexamethasone treatment alters muscle tone, stiffness and elasticity. During 20-day recovery period all measured parameters gradually improved towards the average baseline, however, remaining significantly lower than these values. The body and muscle mass, hind limb grip strength of the rats decreased considerably in the groups that received glucocorticoids. After 20 days of recovery, hind limb grip strength of the animals was slightly lower than the baseline value and mild therapeutic exercise had a slight but not significant effect on hind limb grip strength. Biomechanical parameters improved during the recovery period, but only dynamic stiffness and decrement retuned to baseline value.

Interpretation: The study results show that monitoring muscle biomechanical parameters allows to assess the recovery of atrophied muscle from steroid myopathy.

Keywords: Glucocorticoids myopathy; Muscle elasticity; Muscle stiffness; Muscle tone; Therapeutic exercise.

MeSH terms

Animals
Atrophy
Dexamethasone / therapeutic use
Female
Inflammation*
Muscle, Skeletal*
Rats

Substances

Dexamethasone