MYOSIN HEAVY CHAIN mRNA AND CONTENT IN SKELETAL MUSCLE

Pennsylvania State Univ Hershey Med Ctr, Hershey PA

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Abstract

Sarcopenia or loss of skeletal muscle in the elderly, has profound consequences on their health and quality of life. Sarcopenia results in decreased ability to generate force and power, predisposing individuals to fall; a decrease in glucose metabolism, predisposing individuals to Type II Diabetes Mellitus; and a decreased metabolic rate which leads to obesity. Many investigators have examined the rate of protein synthesis in the muscle and have demonstrated a decrease in the rate of protein synthesis of the elderly. Further work has examined the effects of transcription and translation on this decrease in protein synthesis. However, none of these studies have examined potential differences between fiber types within skeletal muscle. Differences between fiber types may exist due to different frequencies of activation, which is an important factor in determining fiber type and has been shown to affect both transcription and translation. The investigators plan to examine the relationship between myosin heavy chain mRNA expression and myosin heavy chain protein content for each of the three myosin heavy chain isoforms commonly expressed in adults.