Abstract:

BACKGROUND: Previous studies demonstrated that choline-based material can not only increase dispersion of acetylcholine and amplitude of endplate current, but also play an antagonistic action on function reduction of neuromuscular junction.
OBJECTIVE: To observe the prevention effects of choline chloride on immobilization-induced skeletal muscle atrophy and myostatin mRNA expression.
METHODS: Thirty male SD rats were divided into control group, model group and treatment group, with 10 rats in each group. The right hind limbs of the rats were fixed with compliant plaster to prepare atrophy models. The rats in the treatment group received choline chloride (150 mg/kg). The same volume of distilled water was intragastric administrated into rats of the control and model groups. After 4 weeks, calf muscle in right hind limb were dissected and measured for the contractility, wet weight, protein content, and myostatin mRNA expression.
RESULTS AND CONCLUSION: Compared with the control group, the contractility, wet weight, and protein levels in the calf muscle of the model group were dramatically decreased (P < 0.05 or P < 0.01), but the myostatin mRNA expression was obviously increased (P < 0.01). Compared with the model group, the contractility, wet weight, and protein levels in the calf muscle of the treatment group were dramatically increased (P < 0.05), and the myostatin mRNA expression was obviously decreased (P < 0.01). The findings demonstrated that, choline chloride can improve contractility, wet weight, and protein levels in the calf muscles, and decrease myostatin mRNA expression, accordingly, choline chloride has preventive and protective effects on development of disuse atrophy of skeletal muscles.