. Acute molecular responses of skeletal muscle to resistance exercise in ablebodied and spinal cord-injured subjects. J Appl Physiol 94: 2255-2262. First published February 28, 2003 10.1152/japplphysiol.00014.2003.-Spinal cord injury (SCI) results in muscle atrophy, which contributes to a number of health problems, such as cardiovascular deconditioning, metabolic derangement, and osteoporosis. Electromyostimulation (EMS) holds the promise of ameliorating SCI-related muscle atrophy and, therefore, improving general health. To date, EMS training of long-term SCI subjects has resulted in some muscle hypertrophy but has fallen short of normalizing muscle mass. The aim of this study was to compare the molecular responses of vastus lateralis muscles from able-bodied (AB) and SCI subjects after acute bouts of EMS-induced resistance exercise to determine whether SCI muscles displayed some impairment in response. Analysis included mRNA markers known to be responsive to increased loading in rodent muscles. Muscles of AB and SCI subjects were subjected to EMS-stimulated exercise in two 30-min bouts, separated by a 48-h rest. Needle biopsy samples were obtained 24 h after the second exercise bout. In both the AB and SCI muscles, significant changes were seen in insulin-like growth factor binding proteins 4 and 5, cyclin-dependent kinase inhibitor p21, and myogenin mRNA levels. In AB subjects, the mRNA for mechano-growth factor was also increased. Before exercise, the total RNA concentration of the SCI muscles was less than that of the AB subjects but not different postexercise. The results of this study indicate that acute bouts of resistance exercise stimulate molecular responses in the skeletal muscles of both AB and SCI subjects. The responses seen in the SCI muscles indicate that the systems that regulate these molecular responses are intact, even after extended periods of muscle unloading. mechano-growth factor; insulin-like growth factor I; insulinlike growth factor binding protein; myogenin INACTIVITY CAN LEAD TO A LOSS of muscle mass and function. Complete spinal cord injury (SCI) leads to inactivation and profound muscle unloading. The muscles of SCI patients are characterized by severe atrophy, as well as extensively altered metabolic and contractile protein profiles (6,19,40). For example, within several months of SCI, muscles and their constituent myofibers can be reduced to ϳ41% of the size of those of able-bodied (AB) individuals (16, 15). The loss in muscle mass and function can contribute to a number of health problems, such as decreased cardiorespiratory fitness, impaired glucose tolerance, and osteoporosis (37, 39).Recognition of potential benefits to be garnered by maintaining or increasing muscle mass in SCI patients has lead to a number of studies aimed at using electromyostimulation (EMS) to induce contractile activity in the muscles of these patients. In AB subjects, EMSinduced resistance exercise has been shown to result in increases in muscle size and performance (13,14,41). Studies have also shown...