The effect of transcutaneous application of carbon dioxide (CO 2) on skeletal muscle

• Published in: Biochemical and biophysical research communications 2011-04, Vol.407 (1), p.148-152
• Main Authors: Oe, Keisuke, Ueha, Takeshi, Sakai, Yoshitada, Niikura, Takahiro, Lee, Sang Yang, Koh, Akihiro, Hasegawa, Takumi, Tanaka, Masaya, Miwa, Masahiko, Kurosaka, Masahiro
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: 60 APPLIED LIFE SCIENCES; Administration, Cutaneous; Animals; ATROPHY; BLOOD FLOW; CARBON DIOXIDE; Carbon Dioxide - administration & dosage; EXERCISE; FIBERS; Gene Expression - drug effects; GENE REGULATION; GENES; GROWTH FACTORS; LIMBS; Male; MATING; MITOCHONDRIA; Mitochondria, Muscle - drug effects; Mitochondrial biogenesis; Muscle fiber changing; Muscle, Skeletal - drug effects; Muscle, Skeletal - physiology; Muscle, Skeletal - ultrastructure; MUSCLES; Muscular Atrophy - drug therapy; MYOSIN; Myosin Heavy Chains - genetics; Myosin Heavy Chains - metabolism; PATIENTS; Peroxisome Proliferator-Activated Receptor Gamma Coactivator 1-alpha; PGC-1α; POLYMERASE CHAIN REACTION; RATS; Rats, Sprague-Dawley; RECEPTORS; RNA-Binding Proteins - genetics; Sirtuin 1 - genetics; SKELETAL DISEASES; SKIN; THERAPY; Transcription Factors - genetics; Transcutaneous application of carbon dioxide; Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor A - genetics
• ISSN: 0006-291X; 1090-2104
• DOI: 10.1016/j.bbrc.2011.02.128

► PGC-1α is up-regulated as a result of exercise such as mitochondrial biogenesis and muscle fiber-type switching, and up-regulation of VEGF. ► We demonstrated transcutaneous application of CO 2 up-regulated the gene expression of PGC-1α, SIRT1 and VEGF, and instance of muscle fiber switching. ► Transcutaneous application of CO 2 may cause similar effect to aerobic exercise in skeletal muscle. In Europe, carbon dioxide therapy has been used for cardiac disease and skin problems for a long time. However there have been few reports investigating the effects of carbon dioxide therapy on skeletal muscle. Peroxisome proliferators-activated receptor (PPAR)-gamma coactivator-1 (PGC-1α) is up-regulated as a result of exercise and mediates known responses to exercise, such as mitochondrial biogenesis and muscle fiber-type switching, and neovascularization via up-regulation of vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF). It is also known that silent mating type information regulation 2 homologs 1 (SIRT1) enhances PGC-1α-mediated muscle fiber-type switching. Previously, we demonstrated transcutaneous application of CO 2 increased blood flow and a partial increase of O 2 pressure in the local tissue known as the Bohr effect. In this study, we transcutaneously applied CO 2 to the lower limbs of rats, and investigated the effect on the fast muscle, tibialis anterior (TA) muscle. The transcutaneous CO 2 application caused: (1) the gene expression of PGC-1α, silent mating type information regulation 2 homologs 1 (SIRT1) and VEGF, and increased the number of mitochondria, as proven by real-time PCR and immunohistochemistry, (2) muscle fiber switching in the TA muscle, as proven by isolation of myosin heavy chain and ATPase staining. Our results suggest the transcutaneous application of CO 2 may have therapeutic potential for muscular strength recovery resulting from disuse atrophy in post-operative patients and the elderly population.