Skeletal muscle adaptation in response to chronic oral corticosterone treatment in C57BL/6N mice

Abstract

Chronic exposure to elevated glucocorticoid levels represents a significant concern for researchers, healthcare professionals, and the general public. In various disorders and diseases (such as Cushing Syndrome and major depressive disorder), levels of these endogenous stress hormones are chronically elevated. Treatment with glucocorticoids over prolonged periods, as seen in treatment of autoimmune disorders such as rheumatoid arthritis, also results in chronically elevated glucocorticoid levels and poses a significant health concern. While it is generally accepted that chronic glucocorticoid treatment results in skeletal muscle myopathy, less is known about the specific effects of this treatment on functionally different muscle groups and key skeletal muscle structures. The objective of the current study was to determine whether skeletal muscle atrophy is induced in the gastrocnemius/plantaris and soleus by chronic corticosterone (CORT) treatment at doses mimicking physiological stress conditions and to examine the effects of chronic glucocorticoid treatment on key skeletal muscle structures. C57BL/6N mice were dosed with 100μg/mL CORT in drinking water over a period of 4 weeks then compared to naïve (untreated) and vehicle control (<1% ethanol in drinking water) groups. [...]