AJP - Regulatory, Integrative and Comparative Physiology, Vol 269, Issue 5 1183-R1188, Copyright © 1995 by American Physiological Society

ARTICLES

No effect of aging on skeletal muscle insulin-like growth factor mRNAs

M. T. Hamilton, D. R. Marsh, D. S. Criswell, W. Lou and F. W. Booth
Department of Integrative Biology, University of Texas Medical School, Houston 77030, USA.

This study examined the hypothesis that during aging insulin-like growth factor (IGF) mRNAs are reduced in skeletal muscle. IGF-I, IGF-II, and IGF-binding protein-5 (IGFBP-5) mRNAs were measured with a ribonuclease protection assay in the gastrocnemius of specific pathogen-free Fischer-344 rats. We hypothesized that IGF-I, IGF-II, and IGFBP-5 mRNA concentration (normalized to 18S RNA) in the gastrocnemius muscle of growing animals (3 mo) would be downregulated in a coordinated manner with muscle size during aging-associated atrophy. As indicated by muscle wet weight and total protein content, the gastrocnemius muscle was growing in the 3-mo group (P < 0.01 smaller compared with 12 mo), fully developed at 12 mo, and was atrophied at 24 mo of age (P < 0.05 compared with 12 mo). IGF-I mRNA concentration in the gastrocnemius of 12- and 24-mo-old rats was 39-49% less than in 3-mo-old rats (P < 0.05). Contrary to our hypothesis, there was not a significant skeletal muscle IGF-I mRNA difference between middle age (12 mo) and senescence (24 mo). Thus IGF-I mRNA changed during maturation (3-12 mo) but not during aging (12-24 mo). Skeletal muscle IGF-II mRNA concentration was not different among 3-, 12-, and 24-mo-old animals. Furthermore, animal age did not have an effect on IGFBP-5 mRNA concentration. We conclude that the aging-associated atrophy of skeletal muscle is not caused by altered pretranslational regulation of IGF-I, IGF-II, or IGFBP-5 in skeletal muscle.

This article has been cited by other articles:

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