miR-378转基因小鼠骨骼肌组织的代谢表型分析

骨骼肌是机体最大的代谢器官,对机体代谢稳态有重要调控功能。该课题组前期工作发现miR-378可以调控机体能量代谢稳态,为探究过表达miR-378对骨骼肌组织代谢的影响,该研究利用核磁共振技术系统分析了miR-378转基因小鼠及同窝的野生型对照小鼠骨骼肌组织的代谢谱差异。研究结果显示, miR-378对骨骼肌代谢有重要调控功能,过表达miR-378使骨骼肌组织肌酸、氨基酸代谢物(谷氨酸、谷氨酰胺)及核酸代谢物(次黄嘌呤)增多,而乳酸、磷酸肌酸、甘油等代谢产物明显减少,提示miR-378转基因小鼠骨骼肌处于能量匮乏状态。进一步对AMPK信号通路相关蛋白的分析表明,miR-378转基因小鼠骨骼肌组织AMPKa及ACC磷酸化水平增加, AMPKa的激活进一步支持miR-378过表达导致骨骼肌组织能量不足。以上结果提示, miR-378对骨骼肌组织代谢有重要调控功能。     

白细胞介素-6在骨骼肌质量调节中的作用

白细胞介素-6 (interleukin-6,IL-6)是一种多效性细胞因子参与机体免疫应答，并在不同器官、组织及细胞中发挥生物调节作用。IL-6具有抗炎和促炎的双重效应，在受到病原体感染发病的初期，机体内IL-6发挥抗炎作用，其水平在机体内适度升高，抵御机体炎症、维持机体内部稳态；但IL-6大量释放可造成过度炎症，引发机体的其他病理变化。而IL-6在调控骨骼肌质量方面亦有刺激骨骼肌蛋白质合成与降解的双重效应。骨骼肌作为机体重要的运动及代谢器官，也是IL-6的关键靶向之一。一方面，IL-6在应激骨骼肌的诱导和瞬时表达通过自分泌或旁分泌作用下，参与调节肌卫星细胞增殖、分化，介导骨骼肌生成与生长；另一方面，在衰老及病理条件下，机体IL-6水平显著提高，促使肌肉萎缩，因此，骨骼肌萎缩机制亦与IL-6相关。此外，骨骼肌也可作为内分泌器官，在运动应激下分泌并释放IL-6,后者作为“运动因子”实现骨骼肌与其他器官或组织间的“crosstalk”。鉴于IL-6在机体发挥的“多面手”作用，本文综述IL-6与骨骼肌质量调控机制相关研究进展，为揭示骨骼肌应激与适应分子机制提供理论参考。     

雄激素对骨骼肌蛋白质代谢的调控及其机制

雄激素可调控骨骼肌蛋白质代谢,从而在肌肉质量的维持中发挥重要作用。对雄激素作用机制的研究表明,雄激素可在雄激素受体介导下,分别通过IGF-1/Akt、ERK/mTOR和GPCR等信号通路促进骨骼肌蛋白质合成,促进肌肉质量增长;当雄激素不足时,可通过泛素蛋白酶体系统、自噬和肌肉生长抑制素等途径促进骨骼肌蛋白质分解和肌肉流失。雄激素调控骨骼肌蛋白质代谢机制的阐明,将加深人们对雄激素功能及骨骼肌蛋白质代谢调控的认识,具有重要意义。     

妊娠期母体营养调控子代骨骼发育与代谢的研究进展

骨骼组织作为动物机体重要的支撑器官和旁分泌器官,其发育过程正常与否影响机体整体的发育和健康。妊娠期是胎儿骨骼发育最为关键的时期,妊娠期营养状态的变化不仅可能影响胎儿骨骼发育和代谢过程,而且这些影响甚至可能出现在动物出生后甚至伴随其一生。本文概述了动物骨骼发育代谢过程及其作为旁分泌器官对其它组织器官的影响,并就通过母体妊娠期营养(如蛋白,能量,矿物质,维生素和采食量)调控影响胎儿骨骼发育代谢相关研究进行了综述,以加深对关于妊娠期母体营养调控胎儿骨骼发育的认识。同时,对畜牧生产上通过调控妊娠期母体营养改善动物骨骼发育代谢状态,为进一步实现健康养殖提供新的思路。     

MicroRNA调控哺乳动物骨骼肌发育

MicroRNA (miRNA)是一类长度大约为22 bp的小分子非编码RNA,广泛存在于哺乳动物中,部分miRNA表达具有时空和组织特异性。哺乳动物中miRNA主要通过与靶基因3° UTR区结合抑制其翻译,调控机体生物学功能。miRNA在哺乳动物骨骼肌发育中发挥重要调节作用。哺乳动物骨骼肌发育是一个复杂的生物学过程,包括骨骼肌干细胞增殖、迁移、分化,成肌细胞增殖、分化、肌管融合,肌纤维肥大,能量代谢,纤维类型转换等。miRNA参与骨骼肌发育的各个环节,通过靶向各个时期的关键因子调控骨骼肌发育。本文对miRNA在骨骼肌发育中的调控作用进行了综述,以期为深入理解骨骼肌发育规律提供参考。     

肌肉生长抑制素调控动物骨骼肌生长机制的研究进展

肌肉生成抑制素（myostatin, MSTN）在动物机体骨骼肌的增殖、分化和生长中起着重要的负调控作用。MSTN基因的过表达会阻碍骨骼肌增殖分化及生长发育,而缺失或表达降低则会导致肌肉肥大,形成双肌现象（double muscle phenomenon, DMP）。MSTN能作用于多个基因及结合多种细胞因子广泛参与生理生化、物质代谢、病理调控等过程,在动物机体生长发育过程中扮演着重要的角色。本文将从MSTN基因的历史渊源、基因定位、时空表达特性、部分相关作用机制等方面进行论述,旨在对MSTN调控动物骨骼肌生长部分机制作梳理,以期为后期研究提供理论依据。     

LncRNA调控骨骼肌发育的分子机制及其在家养动物中的研究进展

骨骼肌是维持机体功能必不可少的组织,与家养动物的产肉率等重要经济性状密切相关。近年来,高通量测序鉴定了大量与骨骼肌生成相关的长链非编码RNA (long non-coding RNA, lncRNA),它们可作为调节因子在表观调控、转录调控以及转录后调控等多个层面调控基因表达。lncRNA通过靶向关键因子参与调控骨骼肌发育的各个环节,包括骨骼肌干细胞增殖、迁移、分化,成肌细胞增殖、分化、肌管融合,肌纤维肥大和纤维类型转换等过程。本文重点归纳了lncRNA在人和小鼠骨骼肌发育中的分子调控机制,介绍了lncRNA的研究方法,综述了lncRNA在家养动物骨骼肌发育中的研究进展,分析了目前家养动物lncRNA研究所面临的困难和挑战,最后展望了未来家养动物lncRNA研究的方向,以期为进一步阐明骨骼肌生长发育的分子调控机制提供参考。     

骨骼肌的再生

骨骼肌是体内最大的器官,对呼吸、代谢、体温保持、运动等基本生命活动有重要的调控作用。运动、疾病、创伤以及其他因素会导致骨骼肌的损伤,骨骼肌能够通过再生对于这些损伤进行程度不同的修复。骨骼肌再生主要通过骨骼肌干细胞进行。骨骼肌再生涉及到多种细胞类型的协同作用,受到复杂、精细的调控,以保证再生过程的有序进行。该文对骨骼肌再生的最新进展进行简略综述。     

骨骼肌细胞的凋亡

细胞凋亡是受基因调控的细胞死亡方式,与机体组织的萎缩和退化关系密切,近年来有人将骨骼肌的萎缩和退化与细胞凋亡联系起来,认为细胞凋亡可能在骨骼肌萎缩和退化中发挥重要作用,本文综述了近年来对骨骼肌肌肉细胞和未分化肌细胞的凋亡及其基因调控的研究,以期进一步阐明骨骼肌萎缩和退化的发生机制,为临床上寻找延缓骨骼肌萎缩的治疗方法提供一些思路。     

GLUT4: a key player regulating glucose homeostasis? Insights from transgenic and knockout mice (review).

Studies in which GLUT4 has been overexpressed in transgenic mice provide definitive evidence that glucose transport is rate limiting for muscle glucose disposal. Transgenic overexpression of GLUT4 selectively in skeletal muscle results in increased whole body glucose uptake and improves glucose homeostasis. These studies strengthen the hypothesis that the level of muscle GLUT4 affects the rate of whole body glucose disposal, and underscore the importance of GLUT4 in skeletal muscle for maintaining whole body glucose homeostasis. Studies in which GLUT4 has been ablated or 'knocked-out' provide proof that GLUT4 is the primary effector for mediating glucose transport in skeletal muscle and adipose tissue. Genetic ablation of GLUT4 results in impaired insulin tolerance and defects in glucose metabolism in skeletal muscle and adipose tissue. Because impaired muscle glucose transport leads to reduced whole body glucose uptake and hyperglycaemia, understanding the molecular regulation of glucose transport in skeletal muscle is important to develop effective strategies to prevent or reduce the incidence of Type II diabetes mellitus. In patients with Type II diabetes mellitus, reduced glucose transport in skeletal muscle is a major factor responsible for reduced whole body glucose uptake. Overexpression of GLUT4 in skeletal muscle improves glucose homeostasis in animal models of diabetes mellitus and protects against the development of diabetes mellitus. Thus, GLUT4 is an attractive target for pharmacological intervention strategies to control glucose homeostasis. This review will focus on the current understanding of the role of GLUT4 in regulating cellular glucose uptake and whole body glucose homeostasis.     

GLUT4: a key player regulating glucose homeostasis? Insights from transgenic and knockout mice

Studies in which GLUT4 has been overexpressed in transgenic mice provide definitive evidence that glucose transport is rate limiting for muscle glucose disposal. Transgenic overexpression of GLUT4 selectively in skeletal muscle results in increased whole body glucose uptake and improves glucose homeostasis. These studies strengthen the hypothesis that the level of muscle GLUT4 affects the rate of whole body glucose disposal, and underscore the importance of GLUT4 in skeletal muscle for maintaining whole body glucose homeostasis. Studies in which GLUT4 has been ablated or 'knocked-out' provide proof that GLUT4 is the primary effector for mediating glucose transport in skeletal muscle and adipose tissue. Genetic ablation of GLUT4 results in impaired insulin tolerance and defects in glucose metabolism in skeletal muscle and adipose tissue. Because impaired muscle glucose transport leads to reduced whole body glucose uptake and hyperglycaemia, understanding the molecular regulation of glucose transport in skeletal muscle is important to develop effective strategies to prevent or reduce the incidence of Type II diabetes mellitus. In patients with Type II diabetes mellitus, reduced glucose transport in skeletal muscle is a major factor responsible for reduced whole body glucose uptake. Overexpression of GLUT4 in skeletal muscle improves glucose homeostasis in animal models of diabetes mellitus and protects against the development of diabetes mellitus. Thus, GLUT4 is an attractive target for pharmacological intervention strategies to control glucose homeostasis. This review will focus on the current understanding of the role of GLUT4 in regulating cellular glucose uptake and whole body glucose homeostasis.     

Triiodothyronine induces UCP-1 expression and mitochondrial biogenesis in human adipocytes

Uncoupling protein (UCP)-1 expressed in brown adipose tissue plays an important role in thermogenesis. Recent data suggest that brown-like adipocytes in white adipose tissue (WAT) and skeletal muscle play a crucial role in the regulation of body weight. Understanding of the mechanism underlying the increase in UCP-1 expression level in these organs should, therefore, provide an approach to managing obesity. The thyroid hormone (TH) has profound effects on mitochondrial biogenesis and promotes the mRNA expression of UCP in skeletal muscle and brown adipose tissue. However, the action of TH on the induction of brown-like adipocytes in WAT has not been elucidated. Thus we investigate whether TH could regulate UCP-1 expression in WAT using multipotent cells isolated from human adipose tissue. In this study, triiodothyronine (T(3)) treatment induced UCP-1 expression and mitochondrial biogenesis, accompanied by the induction of the CCAAT/enhancer binding protein, peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor-γ coactivator-1α, and nuclear respiratory factor-1 in differentiated human multipotent adipose-derived stem cells. The effects of T(3) on UCP-1 induction were dependent on TH receptor-β. Moreover, T(3) treatment increased oxygen consumption rate. These findings indicate that T(3) is an active modulator, which induces energy utilization in white adipocytes through the regulation of UCP-1 expression and mitochondrial biogenesis. Our findings provide evidence that T(3) serves as a bipotential mediator of mitochondrial biogenesis.     

Ntau-methylhistidine content of mixed proteins in various rat tissues.

In order to use Ntau-methylhistidine (3-methylhistidine) excretion in the urine as a measure of muscle protein breakdown, it is necessary to demonstrate that other tissues are not important sources of this protein constituent. Accordingly, the concentration of Ntau-methylhistidine in blood serum and in the mixed proteins of heart, brain, lung, kidney, diaphragm, spleen, testis, stomach, liver and hind leg skeletal muscle was measured in male rats of approx. 400 g body weight. The free Ntau-methylhistidine concentration of rat serum was less than 2 nmol per ml. In contrast, measurable amounts of Ntau-methylhistidine were found in the mixed proteins of all tissues and organs examined. The highest concentration was found in skeletal muscle (658 nmol/g tissue). Assuming muscle mass to be 45% of body weight, it has been estimated that the muscle contains more than ten times the total amount of this amino acid present in all of the other organs analyzed, which together account for about 20% of total body weight. These findings indicate that skeletal muscle is likely to be the major source of urinary Ntau-methylhistidine and the latter is, in consequence, a reflection of myofibrillar protein breakdown in skeletal muscle.     

An overview of energy and metabolic regulation

The physiology and behaviors related to energy balance are monitored by the nervous and humoral systems. Because of the difficulty in treating diabetes and obesity, elucidating the energy balance mechanism and identifying critical targets for treatment are important research goals. Therefore, the purpose of this article is to describe energy regulation by the central nervous system(CNS) and peripheral humoral pathway. Homeostasis and rewarding are the basis of CNS regulation. Anorexigenic or orexigenic effects reflect the activities of the POMC/CART or NPY/AgRP neurons within the hypothalamus. Neurotransmitters have roles in food intake, and responsive brain nuclei have different functions related to food intake, glucose monitoring, reward processing. Peripheral gut-or adipose-derived hormones are the major source of peripheral humoral regulation systems. Nutrients or metabolites and gut microbiota affect metabolism via a discrete pathway. We also review the role of peripheral organs, the liver,adipose tissue, and skeletal muscle in peripheral regulation. We discuss these topics and how the body regulates metabolism.     

调控肌肉生长发育的lncRNAs

长链非编码RNA（long non-coding RNA, lncRNA）是存在于真核生物体内的一种长度大于200 nt主要由RNA聚合酶Ⅱ转录而来的RNAs,且不具有编码蛋白质能力。作为机体基因调控网络的重要调节因子,lncRNA在X染色体沉默、脂肪代谢、细胞生长发育等方面发挥重要作用。近期研究结果表明,lncRNA通过介导表观遗传、转录水平和转录后水平调控等方式,参与骨骼肌的生长发育以及分化过程的调节,包括调控肌源性干细胞和成肌细胞的增殖、分化和肌管的融合等进程,从而影响肌肉的生长发育。本文概述了lncRNA的分类与生物学功能,归纳了lncRNA的作用机制,重点介绍参与骨骼肌生长发育调控的lncRNAs,分析目前lncRNA研究面临的机遇及挑战,展望未来研究的热点与方向,以期为lncRNA在肌肉生长调控方面开展深入研究提供参考。     

Advances in cancer cachexia: Intersection between affected organs,mediators, and pharmacological interventions

Advanced cancer patients exhibit cachexia, a condition characterized by a significant reduction in the body weight predominantly from loss of skeletal muscle and adipose tissue. Cachexia is one of the major causes of morbidity and mortality in cancer patients. Decreased food intake and multi-organ energy imbalance in cancer patients worsen the cachexia syndrome. Cachectic cancer patients have a low tolerance for chemo- and radiation therapies and also have a reduced quality of life. The presence of tumors and the current treatment options for cancer further exacerbate the cachexia condition, which remains an unmet medical need. The onset of cachexia involves crosstalk between different organs leading to muscle wasting. Recent advancements in understanding the molecular mechanisms of skeletal muscle atrophy/hypertrophy and adipose tissue wasting/browning provide a platform for the development of new targeted therapies. Therefore, a better understanding of this multifactorial disorder will help to improve the quality of life of cachectic patients. In this review, we summarize the metabolic mediators of cachexia, their molecular functions, affected organs especially with respect to muscle atrophy and adipose browning and then discuss advanced therapeutic approaches to cancer cachexia.     

Krüppel样因子在肌肉组织中的功能研究进展

Krüppel样因子(Krüppel-like factors, KLFs)是一类C-末端含有3个C₂H₂锌指结构的转录因子,N-末端为转录调控结构域,能够结合多种特异蛋白质,介导转录调控。目前在人体基因组中共发现18种KLFs,它们在多种类型人类细胞的分化、表型维持和生理功能调控中发挥重要作用。多个KLFs参与了对人和动物的心肌、平滑肌和骨骼肌的发育和功能的调控。在心肌中,KLF4、KLF10、KLF11和KLF15参与心肌肥大的负调控,KLF6参与调控心脏纤维化,KLF13调控胚胎时期的心肌发育。在血管平滑肌中,KLF4受促增殖或促分化因子调控,介导调控血管平滑肌表型转换;KLF5促进血管平滑肌增殖,KLF8和KLF15抑制血管平滑肌增殖。在骨骼肌中,KLF2、KLF3、KLF4、KLF10和KLF15调控骨骼肌发育,此外,KLF15是肌肉组织能量代谢的调节因子。本文综述了KLFs在心肌、平滑肌和骨骼肌中的功能研究进展,为进一步揭示KLFs在肌肉组织中的作用和肌肉相关疾病的分子机制提供参考。     

Computer-aided mechanogenesis of skeletal muscle organs from single cells in vitro

Complex mechanical forces generated in the growing embryo play an important role in organogenesis. Computerized mechanical application of similar forces to differentiating skeletal muscle myoblasts in vitro generate three-dimensional artificial muscle organs. These organs contain parallel networks of long unbranched myofibers organized into fascicle-like structures. Tendon development is initiated and the muscles are capable of performing directed, functional work. Kinetically engineered organs provide a new method for studying the growth and development of normal and diseased tissue.