It is well established that contracting muscles produce both reactive oxygen and nitrogen species. Although the sources of oxidant production during exercise continue to be debated, growing evidence suggests that mitochondria are not the dominant source. Regardless of the sources of oxidants in contracting muscles, intense and prolonged exercise can result in oxidative damage to both proteins and lipids in the contracting myocytes. Further, oxidants regulate numerous cell signaling pathways and modulate the expression of many genes. This oxidant-mediated change in gene expression involves changes at transcriptional, mRNA stability, and signal transduction levels. Furthermore, numerous products associated with oxidant-modulated genes have been identified and include antioxidant enzymes, stress proteins, and mitochondrial electron transport proteins. Interestingly, low and physiological levels of reactive oxygen species are required for normal force production in skeletal muscle, but high levels of reactive oxygen species result in contractile dysfunction and fatigue. Ongoing research continues to explore the redox-sensitive targets in muscle that are responsible for both redox-regulation of muscle adaptation and oxidant-mediated muscle fatigue.

BACKGROUND Mechanical ventilation (MV) is a life-saving intervention used to provide adequate pulmonary ventilation in patients suffering from respiratory failure. However, prolonged MV is associated with significant diaphragmatic weakness resulting from both myofiber atrophy and contractile dysfunction. Although several signaling pathways contribute to diaphragm weakness during MV, it is established that oxidative stress is required for diaphragmatic weakness to occur. Therefore, identifying the site(s) of MV-induced reactive oxygen species (ROS) production in the diaphragm is important. OBJECTIVE These experiments tested the hypothesis that elevated mitochondrial ROS emission is required for MV-induced oxidative stress, atrophy, and contractile dysfunction in the diaphragm. DESIGN Cause and effect was determined by preventing MV-induced mitochondrial ROS emission in the diaphragm of rats using a novel mitochondrial-targeted antioxidant (SS-31). MEASUREMENTS AND MAIN RESULTS Compared to mechanically ventilated animals treated with saline, animals treated with SS-31 were protected against MV-induced mitochondrial dysfunction, oxidative stress, and protease activation in the diaphragm. Importantly, treatment of animals with the mitochondrial antioxidant also protected the diaphragm against MV-induced myofiber atrophy and contractile dysfunction. CONCLUSIONS These results reveal that prevention of MV-induced increases in diaphragmatic mitochondrial ROS emission protects the diaphragm MV-induced diaphragmatic weakness. This important new finding indicates that mitochondria are a primary source of ROS production in the diaphragm during prolonged MV. These results could lead to the development of a therapeutic intervention to impede MV-induced diaphragmatic weakness.

Powers SK, Kavazis AN, McClung JM. Oxidative stress and disuse muscle atrophy.

Increased reactive oxygen species (ROS) production is crucial to the remodelling that occurs in skeletal muscle in response to both exercise training and prolonged periods of disuse. This review discusses the redox-sensitive signalling pathways that are responsible for this ROS-induced skeletal muscle adaptation. We begin with a discussion of the sites of ROS production in skeletal muscle fibres. This is followed by an overview of the putative redox-sensitive signalling pathways that promote skeletal muscle adaptation. Specifically, this discussion highlights redox-sensitive kinases, phosphatases and the transcription factor nuclear factor-κB. We also discuss the evidence that connects redox signalling to skeletal muscle adaptation in response to increased muscular activity (i.e. exercise training) and during prolonged periods of muscular inactivity (i.e. immobilization). In an effort to stimulate further research, we conclude with a discussion of unanswered questions about redox signalling in skeletal muscle.

Prolonged periods of skeletal muscle inactivity lead to a loss of muscle protein and strength. Advances in cell biology have progressed our understanding of those factors that contribute to muscle atrophy. To this end, abundant evidence implicates oxidative stress as a potential regulator of proteolytic pathways leading to muscle atrophy during periods of prolonged disuse. This review will address the role of reactive oxygen species and oxidative stress as potential contributors to the process of disuse-mediated muscle atrophy. The first section of this article will discuss our current understanding of muscle proteases, sources of reactive oxygen in muscle fibers, and the evidence linking oxidative stress to disuse muscle atrophy. The second section of this review will highlight gaps in our knowledge relative to the specific role of oxidative stress in the regulation of disuse muscle atrophy. By discussing unresolved issues and suggesting topics for future research, it is hoped that this review will serve as a stimulus for the expansion of knowledge in this exciting field.

Prolonged periods of muscular inactivity (e.g., limb immobilization) result in skeletal muscle atrophy. Although it is established that reactive oxygen species (ROS) play a role in inactivity-induced skeletal muscle atrophy, the cellular pathway(s) responsible for inactivity-induced ROS production remain(s) unclear. To investigate this important issue, we tested the hypothesis that elevated mitochondrial ROS production contributes to immobilization-induced increases in oxidative stress, protease activation, and myofiber atrophy in skeletal muscle. Cause-and-effect was determined by administration of a novel mitochondrial-targeted antioxidant (SS-31) to prevent immobilization-induced mitochondrial ROS production in skeletal muscle fibers. Compared with ambulatory controls, 14 days of muscle immobilization resulted in significant muscle atrophy, along with increased mitochondrial ROS production, muscle oxidative damage, and protease activation. Importantly, treatment with a mitochondrial-targeted antioxidant attenuated the inactivity-induced increase in mitochondrial ROS production and prevented oxidative stress, protease activation, and myofiber atrophy. These results support the hypothesis that redox disturbances contribute to immobilization-induced skeletal muscle atrophy and that mitochondria are an important source of ROS production in muscle fibers during prolonged periods of inactivity.

Mechanical ventilation (MV) is a life-saving intervention used in patients with acute respiratory failure. Unfortunately, prolonged MV results in diaphragmatic weakness, which is an important contributor to the failure to wean patients from MV. Our laboratory has previously shown that reactive oxygen species (ROS) play a critical role in mediating diaphragmatic weakness after MV. However, the pathways responsible for MV-induced diaphragmatic ROS production remain unknown. These experiments tested the hypothesis that prolonged MV results in an increase in mitochondrial ROS release, mitochondrial oxidative damage, and mitochondrial dysfunction. To test this hypothesis, adult (3-4 months of age) female Sprague-Dawley rats were assigned to either a control or a 12-h MV group. After treatment, diaphragms were removed and mitochondria were isolated for subsequent respiratory and biochemical measurements. Compared to control, prolonged MV resulted in a lower respiratory control ratio in diaphragmatic mitochondria. Furthermore, diaphragmatic mitochondria from MV animals released higher rates of ROS in both State 3 and State 4 respiration. Prolonged MV was also associated with diaphragmatic mitochondrial oxidative damage as indicated by increased lipid peroxidation and protein oxidation. Finally, our data also reveal that the activities of the electron transport chain complexes II, III, and IV are depressed in mitochondria isolated from diaphragms of MV animals. In conclusion, these results are consistent with the concept that diaphragmatic inactivity promotes an increase in mitochondrial ROS emission, mitochondrial oxidative damage, and mitochondrial respiratory dysfunction. KeywordsMitochondria; Superoxide; Antioxidants; Free radicals Mechanical ventilation (MV) is a life-saving measure used to maintain alveolar ventilation in patients incapable of doing so on their own (e.g., respiratory failure, coma, or spinal cord injury). Unfortunately, prolonged MV reduces the activity of the principal muscle of inspiration (i.e., diaphragm) and results in diaphragmatic wasting and contractile dysfunction [1][2][3][4][5][6][7][8][9][10][11][12][13][14]. Indeed, MV results in a rapid onset of diaphragmatic atrophy that is accompanied by oxidative stress [1,15,16]. Although extended periods of disuse also lead to locomotor skeletal muscle atrophy [13,[17][18][19][20][21][22][23][24][25][26], a unique characteristic of MV-induced diaphragmatic atrophy is the rapidity of the atrophic response [25,26]. Although the molecular steps that regulate MVinduced diaphragm atrophy remain unclear, growing evidence indicates that redox disturbances in diaphragmatic fibers play a key signaling role in this process. In this regard, our laboratory was the first to report that prolonged MV results in both protein oxidation and lipid peroxidation in the diaphragm [13,15]. Specifically, diaphragm unloading via MV is associated with a rapid onset of diaphragmatic oxidative stress that develops within 3-6 h after the initiation of MV [15]. Impor...

Rationale: Unloading the diaphragm via mechanical ventilation (MV) results in rapid diaphragmatic fiber atrophy. It is unknown whether the myonuclear domain (cytoplasmic myofiber volume/ myonucleus) of diaphragm myofibers is altered during MV. Objective: We tested the hypothesis that MV-induced diaphragmatic atrophy is associated with a loss of myonuclei via a caspase-3-mediated, apoptotic-like mechanism resulting in a constant myonuclear domain. Methods: To test this postulate, Sprague-Dawley rats were randomly assigned to a control group or to experimental groups exposed to 6 or 12 h of MV with or without administration of a caspase-3 inhibitor. Measurements and Main Results:After 12 h of MV, type I and type IIa diaphragm myofiber areas were decreased by 17 and 23%, respectively, and caspase-3 inhibition attenuated this decrease. Diaphragmatic myonuclear content decreased after 12 h of MV and resulted in the maintenance of a constant myonuclear domain in all fiber types. Both 6 and 12 h of MV resulted in caspase-3-dependent increases in apoptotic markers in the diaphragm (e.g., number of terminal deoxynucleotidyl transferase-mediated dUTP nick-end labeling positive nuclei and DNA fragmentation). Caspase-3-dependent increases in apoptotic markers occurred after 6 h of MV, before the onset of myofiber atrophy. Conclusions: Collectively, these data support the hypothesis that the myonuclear domain of diaphragm myofibers is maintained during prolonged MV and that caspase-3-mediated myonuclear apoptosis contributes to this process. Keywords: muscle atrophy; respiratory muscle; apoptosis; ventilatory weaning Mechanical ventilation (MV) is a clinical intervention for patients who are unable to maintain adequate alveolar ventilation. Recent evidence reveals that controlled MV results in a swift progression of diaphragmatic atrophy and weakness (1-6). It seems that this diaphragmatic atrophy and weakness contributes to difficulty in weaning patients from the ventilator (7). The mechanism(s) responsible for the rapid onset of diaphragmatic atrophy and weakness are not fully understood. Therefore, delineating these mechanisms is a prerequisite for the development of therapeutic strategies to circumvent weaning difficulties. Although mechanical ventilation-induced diaphragm inactivity results in fiber atrophy, it is unknown if prolonged mechanical ventilation is associated with alterations in myonuclear domain via apoptotic mechanisms. What This Study Adds to the FieldOur results reveal that inhibiting caspase-3 activation and myonuclear loss during mechanical ventilation attenuates diaphragmatic muscle atrophy.Mechanical ventilation-induced diaphragmatic atrophy and contractile dysfunction is characterized by oxidative stress and stress-related gene expression in myofibers that occurs within a matter of hours (7,8). In addition to myofibrillar protein loss, extracellular matrix expansion, and metabolic enzyme alterations (9-11), prolonged disuse of skeletal muscle results in the selective loss of myonuclei (12-16). Myonu...