Abstract:

BACKGROUND: Skeletal muscle, as a mechanical tissue, has a function of mechanical contraction, but the mechanisms by which mechanical signals are transduced to chemical signals that influence muscle growth and metabolism remain unidentified.
OBJECTIVE: To understand the signaling pathways for mechanical stimulation and skeletal muscle adaptation, and to provide a theoretical basis for further study. 
METHODS: The databases of PubMed and CNKI was retrieved by computer with key words of “skeletal muscle, mechanical stimulation, signal transduction” both in Chinese and English. The following literatures were included: ①Experimental papers with reliable arguments. ②Papers concerning skeletal muscle hypertrophy. ③Papers with definite standpoints and comprehensive analysis. The papers unrelated to this paper or repeatability study was excluded.
RESULTS AND CONCLUSION: Several findings have suggested that mechanical stimuli can promote the growth and adaptation via Akt/mTOR pathway; under mechanical motion on skeletal muscle fiber, nerve impulse transfers the signals, and opens the Ca2+ ion channel, which can increase the calcineurin activity, activate NFAT into nucleus, and affecte responding target gene, ultimately, result in the adaptation of skeletal muscle. It demonstrated that muscle releases insulin-like growth factors 1 on mechanical stimulation, and through signaling pathways influence muscle growth and adaptation. On the other hand, mechanical signaling via the calcineurin/nuclear factor of activated T-cell pathway has been shown to have a powerful influence on muscle phenotype and muscle mass. The mechanisms concerning how to change the mechanical signals into in vivo chemical signals pathways need exploration.