In catabolic conditions, atrogin-1/MAFbx, a muscle-specific ubiquitin-ligase required for muscle atrophy, is increased, and concentrations of IGF-I, a growth factor known to have antiproteolytic action, are reduced. To define the relationship between the decline in IGF-I and the induction of atrogin-1/MAFbx, we studied the effect of IGF-I replacement on atrogin-1/MAFbx mRNA in rats fasted for 51 h and in rats made diabetic with streptozotocin (STZ). Fasting produced a 5.8-fold increase in atrogin-1/MAFbx (P < 0.001). This was attenuated to a 2.5-fold increase by injections of IGF-I (P < 0.05 vs. fasting). Animals with STZ-induced diabetes experienced a 15.1-fold increase in atrogin-1/MAFbx (P < 0.001). Normalization of their circulating IGF-I concentrations by IGF-I infusion blunted the induction of atrogin-1/MAFbx to 6.3-fold (P < 0.05 vs. STZ diabetes without IGF-I). To further delineate the regulation of atrogin-1/MAFbx by IGF-I, we studied a model of cultured muscle cells. We observed that IGF-I produced a time- and dose-dependent reduction of atrogin-1/MAFbx mRNA, with a 50% effective dose of 5 nm IGF-I, a physiological concentration. The degradation rate of atrogin-1/MAFbx mRNA was not affected by IGF-I, suggesting that the reduction of atrogin-1/MAFbx mRNA by IGF-I is a transcriptional effect. Exposure of muscle cells in culture to dexamethasone increased atrogin-1/MAFbx mRNA with a 50% effective dose of 10 nm, a pharmacological concentration. In the presence of dexamethasone, IGF-I at physiological concentrations retained its full inhibitory effect on atrogin-1/MAFbx mRNA. We conclude that IGF-I inhibits atrogin-1/MAFbx expression and speculate that this effect might contribute to the antiproteolytic action of IGF-I in muscle.
Catabolic states caused by injury are characterized by a loss of skeletal muscle. The anabolic action of IGF-I on muscle and the reduction of its muscle content in response to injury suggest that restoration of muscle IGF-I content might prevent skeletal muscle loss caused by injury. We investigated whether local overexpression of IGF-I protein by gene transfer could prevent skeletal muscle atrophy induced by glucocorticoids, a crucial mediator of muscle atrophy in catabolic states. Localized overexpression of IGF-I in tibialis anterior (TA) muscle was performed by injection of IGF-I cDNA followed by electroporation 3 d before starting dexamethasone injections (0.1 mg/kg.d sc). A control plasmid was electroporated in the contralateral TA muscle. Dexamethasone induced atrophy of the TA muscle as illustrated by reduction in muscle mass (403 +/- 11 vs. 461 +/- 19 mg, P < 0.05) and fiber cross-sectional area (1759 +/- 131 vs. 2517 +/- 93 mum(2), P < 0.05). This muscle atrophy was paralleled by a decrease in the IGF-I muscle content (7.2 +/- 0.9 vs. 15.7 +/- 1.4 ng/g of muscle, P < 0.001). As the result of IGF-I gene transfer, the IGF-I muscle content increased 2-fold (15.8 +/- 1.2 vs. 7.2 +/- 0.9 ng/g of muscle, P < 0.001). In addition, the muscle mass (437 +/- 8 vs. 403 +/- 11 mg, P < 0.01) and the fiber cross-sectional area (2269 +/- 129 vs. 1759 +/- 131 mum(2), P < 0.05) were increased in the TA muscle electroporated with IGF-I DNA, compared with the contralateral muscle electroporated with a control plasmid. Our results show therefore that IGF-I gene transfer by electroporation prevents muscle atrophy in glucocorticoid-treated rats. Our observation supports the important role of decreased muscle IGF-I in the muscle atrophy caused by glucocorticoids.
Decrease of muscle IGF-I plays a critical role in muscle atrophy caused by glucocorticoids (GCs) because IGF-I gene electrotransfer prevents muscle atrophy caused by GCs. The goal of the present study was to identify the intracellular mediators responsible for the IGF-I anti-atrophic action in GC-induced muscle atrophy. We first assessed the IGF-I transduction pathway alterations caused by GC administration and their reversibility by local IGF-I overexpression performed by electrotransfer. Muscle atrophy induced by dexamethasone (dexa) administration occurred with a decrease in Akt (-53%; P<0.01) phosphorylation together with a decrease in beta-catenin protein levels (-40%; P<0.001). Prevention of atrophy by IGF-I was associated with restoration of Akt phosphorylation and beta-catenin levels. We then investigated whether muscle overexpression of these intracellular mediators could mimic the IGF-I anti-atrophic effects. Overexpression of a constitutively active form of Akt induced a marked fiber hypertrophy in dexa-treated animals (+175% of cross-sectional area; P<0.001) and prevented dexa-induced atrophy. This hypertrophy was associated with an increase in phosphorylated GSK-3beta (+17%; P<0.05) and in beta-catenin content (+35%; P<0.05). Furthermore, overexpression of a dominant-negative GSK-3beta or a stable form of beta-catenin increased fiber cross-sectional area by, respectively, 23% (P<0.001) and 29% (P<0.001) in dexa-treated rats, preventing completely the atrophic effect of GC. In conclusion, this work indicates that Akt, GSK-3beta, and beta-catenin probably contribute together to the IGF-I anti-atrophic effect in GC-induced muscle atrophy.
Dietary zinc deficiency in rats causes growth retardation associated with decreased circulating IGF-I concentrations. To investigate the potential role of low IGF-I in this condition, we attempted to reverse the growth failure by administration of exogenous IGF-I. Rats were fed for 4 weeks a zinc-deficient diet (ZD, Zn 0 ppm) or were pair-fed a zinc-normal diet (PF, Zn 75 ppm). We compared the anabolic action of recombinant human (rh) IGF-I infused at the dose of 120 µg/day for the last experimental week in ZD, PF and freely fed control (CTRL) rats. Zinc deficiency caused growth stunting (weight gain 47% of PF; P<0·001), decreased circulating IGF-I (52% of PF; P<0·01) and liver IGF-I mRNA (67% of PF; P<0·01). Serum insulin-like growth factor-binding protein-3 (IGFBP-3) assessed by ligand blot was also reduced in ZD rats (65% of PF; P<0·01). While exogenous IGF-I increased body weight in CTRL (+12 g; P<0·01) and PF (+7 g; not significant) animals, growth was not stimulated in ZD rats ( 1·5 g) in comparison with the corresponding untreated groups. However, circulating IGF-I and IGFBP-3 levels were restored by IGF-I infusion to levels similar to those in untreated CTRL rats. In conclusion, restoration of normal circulating levels of IGF-I and IGFBP-3 by rhIGF-I infusion fails to reverse the growth retardation induced by zinc deficiency. These results suggest that growth retardation related to zinc deficiency is not only caused by low serum IGF-I concentrations, but also by inhibition of the anabolic actions of IGF-I.
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