Impact of resistance loading on myostatin expression and cell cycle regulation in young and older men and women

Myostatin inhibits myoblast proliferation and differentiation in developing muscle. Mounting evidence suggests that myostatin also plays a limiting role in growth/ repair/regeneration of differentiated adult muscle by inhibiting satellite cell activation. We tested the hypothesis that myostatin mRNA expression would decrease after resistance loading (RL) with a blunted response in older (O) females ( F) who have shown minimal hypertrophy [vs. males (M)] after long-term RL. As myostatin is thought to modulate cell cycle activity, we also studied the response of gene transcripts key to stimulation ( cyclin B1 and D1) and inhibition (p21(cip) and p27(kip)) of the cell cycle, along with the muscle-specific load-sensitive mitogen mechano-growth factor (MGF). Twenty young (Y; 20 - 35 yr, 10 YF, 10 YM) and 18 O (60 - 75 yr, 9 OF, 9 OM) consented to vastus lateralis biopsy before and 24 h after a bout of RL ( 3 sets x 8 - 12 repetitions to volitional fatigue of squat, leg press, knee extension). Gene expression levels were determined by relative RT-PCR with 18S as an internal standard and analyzed by age x gender x load repeated-measures ANOVA. A load effect was found for four transcripts ( P < 0.005) including myostatin, cyclin D1, p27kip, and MGF as mRNA levels decreased for myostatin ( - 44%) and p27(kip) ( - 16%) and increased for cyclin D1 ( 34%) and MGF (49%). For myostatin, age x load and gender x load interactions ( P < 0.05) were driven by a lack of change in OF, while marked declines were noted in YM ( - 56%), YF ( - 48%), and OM ( - 40%). Higher cyclin D1 levels in OF led to a main age effect (36%, O > Y) and an age x gender interaction (66%, OF > YF vs. 10%, OM > YM; P < 0.05). An age x gender x load interaction ( P < 0.05) for cyclin D1 resulted from a 48% increase in OF. Post hoc testing within groups revealed a significant increase in MGF after RL in YM only (91%, P < 0.05). Higher levels of cyclin B1 in O (27%, O > Y) led to a main age effect ( P < 0.05). An age x load interaction for cyclin B1 ( P < 0.05) was driven by a 26% increase in Y with no change in O after RL. No age or gender differences, or load-mediated changes, were detected in levels of p21cip mRNA expression. These data clearly demonstrate that RL downregulates myostatin expression and alters genes key to cell cycle progression. However, failure to reduce myostatin expression may play a role in limiting RL-induced hypertrophy in OF.