Jeff M. Hord

EUK-134 ameliorates nNOSμ translocation and skeletal muscle fiber atrophy during short-term mechanical unloading

Reduced mechanical loading during bedrest, spaceflight, and casting, causes rapid morphological changes in skeletal muscle: fiber atrophy and reduction of slow-twitch fibers. An emerging signaling event in response to unloading is the translocation of neuronal nitric oxide synthase (nNOSμ) from the sarcolemma to the cytosol. We used EUK-134, a cell-permeable mimetic of superoxide dismutase and catalase, to test the role of redox signaling in nNOSμ translocation and muscle fiber atrophy as a result of short-term (54 h) hindlimb unloading. Fischer-344 rats were divided into ambulatory control, hindlimb-unloaded (HU), and hindlimb-unloaded + EUK-134 (HU-EUK) groups. EUK-134 mitigated the unloading-induced phenotype, including muscle fiber atrophy and muscle fiber-type shift from slow to fast. nNOSμ immunolocalization at the sarcolemma of the soleus was reduced with HU, while nNOSμ protein content in the cytosol increased with unloading. Translocation of nNOS from the sarcolemma to cytosol was virtually abolished by EUK-134. EUK-134 also mitigated dephosphorylation at Thr-32 of FoxO3a during HU. Hindlimb unloading elevated oxidative stress (4-hydroxynonenal) and increased sarcolemmal localization of Nox2 subunits gp91phox (Nox2) and p47phox, effects normalized by EUK-134. Thus, our findings are consistent with the hypothesis that oxidative stress triggers nNOSμ translocation from the sarcolemma and FoxO3a dephosphorylation as an early event during mechanical unloading. Thus, redox signaling may serve as a biological switch for nNOS to initiate morphological changes in skeletal muscle fibers.

Exercise training attenuates age-dependent elevation of angiotensin II type 1 receptor and Nox2 signaling in the rat heart

Fibrosis of the aging heart impedes cardiac function and increases the risk of arrhythmias and heart disease. Previously, we demonstrated that exercise-induced reduction of collagen I in the aging heart was linked to a suppression of oxidative stress and transforming growth factor-beta (TGF-ß). The renin-angiotensin II system (RAS) increases oxidative stress via NADPH oxidase-2 (Nox2) and thus elevates TGF-ß and collagen accumulation. Therefore, we tested the hypothesis that exercise training would alleviate age-related upregulation of the angiotensin II receptor I (AT1R) and NADPH oxidase-2 (Nox2), concomitant with suppression of TGF-β and fibrosis. Young (3 months, n=20) and old (31 months, n=20) Fischer 344 ×B rown Norway F1 (FBNF1) hybrid rats were assigned into sedentary and exercise groups, with exercise training rats training on a treadmill 45 min/day, 5 days/week for the next 12 weeks. Exercise training mitigated age-related upregulation of AT1R, Nox2 activity, and Nox2 subunits gp91phox and p47phox. Exercise training also attenuated TGF-ß positive staining and downstream effectors of fibrosis in the aging heart: connective tissue growth factor, phosphorylation of Smad2 at Ser423, myofibroblast proliferation, and collagen I-positive staining. Our results are consistent with the hypothesis that exercise training protects against age-dependent cardiac fibrosis by suppressing AT1R and Nox2 as part of a RAS-Nox2-TGF-β pathway.

Effect of Eukarion‐134 on Akt–mTOR signalling in the rat soleus during 7 days of mechanical unloading

What is the central question of this study? Translocation of nNOSμ initiates catabolic signalling via FoxO3a and skeletal muscle atrophy during mechanical unloading. Recent evidence suggests that unloading‐induced muscle atrophy and FoxO3a activation are redox sensitive. Will a mimetic of superoxide dismutase and catalase (i.e. Eukarion‐134) also mitigate suppression of the Akt–mTOR pathway? What is the main finding and its importance? Eukarion‐134 rescued Akt–mTOR signalling and sarcolemmal nNOSμ, which were linked to protection against the unloading phenotype, muscle fibre atrophy and partial fibre‐type shift from slow to fast twitch. The loss of nNOSμ from the sarcolemma appears crucial to Akt phosphorylation and is redox sensitive, although the mechanisms remain unresolved.