Effect of hypokinesia and hypodynamia on protein, RNA, and DNA in rat hindlimb muscles.

Weightlessness is associated with a differential atrophic effect on skeletal muscle that has been attributed to both hypokinesia and hypodynamia. A suspension technique was developed to simulate this atrophic effect by inducing hypokinesia/hypodynamia (H/H) in the rat hindlimb. The purpose of the present studies was to assess the effects of H/H on protein, RNA, and DNA contents in hindlimb skeletal muscles. Suspended animals exhibited a differential reduction in absolute muscle protein content with some alterations in protein concentration. Absolute DNA levels did not change in atrophic muscles. There were pronounced effects of suspension on DNA concentration and on protein/DNA, which suggests that muscle atrophy was accompanied by a reduction in muscle cell size. Hindlimb H/H was associated with a decreased absolute content of RNA in atrophic muscles as well as reductions in RNA/DNA. RNA concentration was reduced 16-21% in atrophic muscles. These findings document a pronounced and differential effect of suspension on hindlimb muscle protein and suggest the potential for effects on the capacity for protein synthesis in muscles from suspended animals.