Massage as a mechanotherapy promotes skeletal muscle protein and ribosomal turnover but does not mitigate muscle atrophy during disuse in adult rats

Abstract

Aim Interventions that decrease atrophy during disuse are desperately needed to maintain muscle mass. We recently found that massage as a mechanotherapy can improve muscle regrowth following disuse atrophy. Therefore, we aimed to determine if massage has similar anabolic effects when applied during normal weight bearing conditions (WB) or during atrophy induced by hindlimb suspension (HS) in adult rats. Methods Adult (10 months) male Fischer344‐Brown Norway rats underwent either hindlimb suspension (HS, n = 8) or normal WB (WB, n = 8) for 7 days. Massage was applied using cyclic compressive loading (CCL) in WB (WBM, n = 9) or HS rats (HSM, n = 9) and included four 30‐minute bouts of CCL applied to gastrocnemius muscle every other day. Results Massage had no effect on any anabolic parameter measured under WB conditions (WBM). In contrast, massage during HS (HSM) stimulated protein turnover, but did not mitigate muscle atrophy. Atrophy from HS was caused by both lowered protein synthesis and higher degradation. HS and HSM had lowered total RNA compared with WB and this was the result of significantly higher ribosome degradation in HS that was attenuated in HSM, without differences in ribosomal biogenesis. Also, massage increased protein turnover in the non‐massaged contralateral limb during HS. Finally, we determined that total RNA degradation primarily dictates loss of muscle ribosomal content during disuse atrophy. Conclusion We conclude that massage is an effective mechanotherapy to impact protein turnover during muscle disuse in both the massaged and non‐massaged contralateral muscle, but it does not attenuate the loss of muscle mass.

Cancer cachexia in a mouse model of oxidative stress

“…The period of D 2 O measurement was a period of muscle loss, which violates the steady state assumptions of isotopic labelling. To account for this non‐steady state condition, calculations were made based in our previously published work 39–41 . CoxIV is commonly used as a surrogate marker for mitochondrial content; therefore, it was used for assessing turnover calculations 42–44 .…”

“…To account for this non-steady state condition, calculations were made based in our previously published work. [39][40][41] CoxIV is commonly used as a surrogate marker for mitochondrial content; therefore, it was used for assessing turnover calculations. [42][43][44] In brief, the mass of protein at time t, P(t), obeys the differential equation:…”

Massage during muscle unloading increases protein turnover in the massaged and non‐massaged, contralateral limb, but does not attenuate muscle atrophy

“…Similar to results during muscle regrowth following disuse, the mechanism responsible for the increase in myofibrillar protein synthesis was different in the non‐massaged limb than it was in the massaged limb. In Lawrence et al, 1 the unloaded, contralateral, non‐massaged limb had greater rpS6 phosphorylation and higher ribosomal degradation compared to unloaded control.…”

“…In the current issue of Acta Physiologica, Lawrence et al 1 provide a rigorous investigation into the effects of mechanical massage therapy on skeletal muscle during normal weight bearing (WB) and unloading conditions. One week of hindlimb suspension (HS) in rats was used to determine if massage is an effective therapy to blunt disuse associated muscle loss.…”

Effect of Massage Before or After Exercise on Delayed-onset Muscle Soreness in a Rat Model

“…In addition, massage may promote venous and lymphatic return, decompose in ammatory mediators, improve nutritional metabolism of muscle, repair muscle tissue [20]. Although massage is widely used in treatment of muscle fatigue and injury, there is controversy on e cacy of improving local circulation and assisting muscle function recovery [21][22][23]. At present, most of studies are about the intervention effect of massage on DOMS, while the preventive effect of massage on DOMS is less.Therefore, we established DOMS model in rats, and carried out front and post massage intervention on rats.…”