A Prochlorperazine-Induced Decrease in Autonomous Muscle Activity during Hindlimb Unloading Is Accompanied by Preserved Slow Myosin mRNA Expression

Abstract

Skeletal muscle disuse leads to pathological muscle activity as well as to slow-to-fast fiber-type transformation. Fast-type fibers are more fatigable than slow-type, so this transformation leads to a decline in muscle function. Prochlorperazine injections previously were shown to attenuate autonomous rat soleus muscle electrical activity under unloading conditions. In this study, we found that prochlorperazine blocks slow-to-fast fiber-type transformation in disused skeletal muscles of rats, possibly through affecting calcium and ROS-related signaling.

Keywords

• hindlimb unloading
• muscle activity
• MyHC
• MAP-kinase
• soleus muscle