The influence of testosterone on neuromuscular transmission in hormone sensitive mammalian skeletal muscles

Pre-clinical symptoms of SBMA may not be androgen-dependent: implications from two SBMA mouse models

A distinguishing aspect of spinal and bulbar muscular atrophy (SBMA) is its androgen-dependence, possibly explaining why only males are clinically affected. This disease, which impairs neuromuscular function, is linked to a polyglutamine expansion mutation in the androgen receptor (AR). In mouse models of SBMA, motor dysfunction is associated with pronounced defects in neuromuscular transmission, including defects in evoked transmitter release (quantal content, QC) and fiber membrane excitability (based on the resting membrane potential, RMP). However, whether such defects are androgen-dependent is unknown. Thus, we recorded synaptic potentials intracellularly from adult muscle fibers of transgenic (Tg) AR97Q male mice castrated pre-symptomatically. Although castration largely protects both QC and the RMP of fibers, correlating with the protective effect of castration on motor function, significant deficits in QC and RMP remained. Surprisingly, comparable defects in QC and RMP were also observed in pre-symptomatic AR97Q males, indicating that such defects emerge early and are pre-clinical. Exposing asymptomatic Tg females to androgens also induces both motor dysfunction and comparable defects in QC and RMP. Notably, asymptomatic Tg females also showed significant deficits in QC and RMP, albeit less severe, supporting their pre-clinical nature, but also raising questions about the androgen-dependence of pre-clinical symptoms. In summary, current evidence indicates that disease progression depends on androgens, but early pathogenic events may be triggered by the mutant AR allele independent of androgens. Such early, androgen-independent disease mechanisms may also be relevant to females carrying the SBMA allele.

Tissue selectivity and potential clinical applications of trenbolone (17beta-hydroxyestra-4,9,11-trien-3-one): A potent anabolic steroid with reduced androgenic and estrogenic activity

Recently, the development of selective androgen receptor modulators (SARMs) has been suggested as a means of combating the deleterious catabolic effects of hypogonadism, especially in skeletal muscle and bone, without inducing the undesirable androgenic effects (e.g., prostate enlargement and polycythemia) associated with testosterone administration. 17beta-Hydroxyestra-4,9,11-trien-3-one (trenbolone; 17beta-TBOH), a synthetic analog of testosterone, may be capable of inducing SARM-like effects as it binds to androgen receptors (ARs) with approximately three times the affinity of testosterone and has been shown to augment skeletal muscle mass and bone growth and reduce adiposity in a variety of mammalian species. In addition to its direct actions through ARs, 17beta-TBOH may also exert anabolic effects by altering the action of endogenous growth factors or inhibiting the action of glucocorticoids. Compared to testosterone, 17beta-TBOH appears to induce less growth in androgen-sensitive organs which highly express the 5alpha reductase enzyme (e.g., prostate tissue and accessory sex organs). The reduced androgenic effects result from the fact that 17beta-TBOH is metabolized to less potent androgens in vivo; while testosterone undergoes tissue-specific biotransformation to more potent steroids, dihydrotestosterone and 17beta-estradiol, via the 5alpha-reductase and aromatase enzymes, respectively. Thus the metabolism of 17beta-TBOH provides a basis for future research evaluating its safety and efficacy as a means of combating muscle and bone wasting conditions, obesity, and/or androgen insensitivity syndromes in humans, similar to that of other SARMs which are currently in development.

Testosterone represses ubiquitin ligases atrogin-1 and Murf-1 expression in an androgen-sensitive rat skeletal muscle in vivo

Skeletal muscle atrophy induced by denervation and metabolic diseases has been associated with increased ubiquitin ligase expression. In the present study, we evaluate the influence of androgens on muscle ubiquitin ligases atrogin-1/MAFbx/FBXO32 and Murf-1/Trim63 expression and its correlation with maintenance of muscle mass by using the testosterone-dependent fast-twitch levator ani muscle (LA) from normal or castrated adult male Wistar rats. Gene expression was determined by qRT-PCR and/or immunoblotting. Castration induced progressive loss of LA mass (30% of control, 90 days) and an exponential decrease of LA cytoplasm-to-nucleus ratio (nuclear domain; 22% of control after 60 days). Testosterone deprivation induced a 31-fold increase in LA atrogin-1 mRNA and an 18-fold increase in Murf-1 mRNA detected after 2 and 7 days of castration, respectively. Acute (24 h) testosterone administration fully repressed atrogin-1 and Murf-1 mRNA expression to control levels. Atrogin-1 protein was also increased by castration up to 170% after 30 days. Testosterone administration for 7 days restored atrogin-1 protein to control levels. In addition to the well known stimulus of protein synthesis, our results show that testosterone maintains muscle mass by repressing ubiquitin ligases, indicating that inhibition of ubiquitin-proteasome catabolic system is critical for trophic action of androgens in skeletal muscle. Besides, since neither castration nor androgen treatment had any effect on weight or ubiquitin ligases mRNA levels of extensor digitorum longus muscle, a fast-twitch muscle with low androgen sensitivity, our study shows that perineal muscle LA is a suitable in vivo model to evaluate regulation of muscle proteolysis, closely resembling human muscle responsiveness to androgens.

Testosterone modulates Cav2.2 calcium channels’ functional expression at rat levator ani neuromuscular junction

Spinal nucleus of bulbocavernosus and its target musculature, the bulbocavernosus and levator ani muscles, are sexually dimorphic, and their sexual differentiation depends on plasmatic levels of testosterone. Electrophysiological and immunocytochemical studies have demonstrated that at mammalian adult neuromuscular junctions only P/Q-type Ca2+ channels (Ca(v2.1)), mediate evoked transmitter release. Here we report that N-type Ca2+ channel (Ca(v2.2)) blocker omega-Conotoxin GVIA, as well as Ca(v2.1) blocker omega-Agatoxin IVA, significantly reduced quantal content of transmitter release by approximately 80% and approximately 70% respectively at levator ani muscle of the adult rats, indicating that neuromuscular transmission is jointly mediated by both types of channels. In these synapses, we also observed that castration and restitution of plasmatic testosterone in rats resulted in changes in the sensitivity to omega-Conotoxin GVIA. Castration induced, whereas testosterone treatment avoided, functional loss of Ca(v2.2), as mediators of transmitter release in these synapses. Strikingly, the expression and localization of alpha1B subunits, which form the pore of the Ca(v2.2) channel, were similar at control, gonadectomized and gonadectomized testosterone-treated rats, suggesting that testosterone may regulate the coupling mechanisms between Ca(v2.2) and transmitter release at the neuromuscular junctions of these sexually dimorphic motoneurons.

Gender does not influence neuromuscular properties in dimorphic skeletal muscles of the toad

The aim of this work was to study gender differences on the physiology of the dimorphic brachial musculature involved in the clasp reflex of the toad (Bufo marinus L.). The neuromuscular transmission, the sensitivity to acetylcholine (ACh) and the cholinesterase activity were compared on the forelimb sternoradialis muscles (SR) from male and female toads. The interosseous muscles of the first finger were used to compare the properties of the nicotinic receptor/ionic channel complex (AChR). All the muscles studied were dimorphic, i.e. significantly smaller in the female than in the male frog in otherwise similar size animals. The SR of either sex contracted to bath application of ACh with similar EC50. In physiological solution the frequency of the miniature end-plate potentials (mepps) was very low (0.1 s-1) and no gender difference was detected. The mepp amplitudes were 0.62 +/- 0.03 and 0.58 +/- 0.03 mV in SR from male and female toads, respectively. To increase exocytosis the muscles were incubated in hypertonic solution (158 mM NaCl). Under this condition mepp frequency was increased by five and seven times and mepp amplitude increased by 1.3 and 1.6 times in SR from male and female toads, respectively. The cholinesterase activity measured by the colorimetric method, did not differ in SR from male and female toads. In muscle fibers dissociated from the dimorphic interosseous muscles of male and female toads, the ionic channel conductance was 43 +/- 5.3 and 44 +/- 4.5 pS, respectively. The mean channel open time was voltage-dependent and not significantly different in preparations from both genders. These observations indicate that neither the ACh-nicotinic receptor interaction, nor the AChR complex kinetics and the nicotinic excitation-contraction coupling or the cholinesterase activity differ in dimorphic muscles from Bufo genders. No gender difference was detected in neuromuscular transmission of the studied muscle. Only a slight increase in mepp frequency and amplitude could be detected when the muscles were incubated in hypertonic solution.

Mechanism of neuromuscular blockade induced by phenthonium, a quaternary derivative of (-)-hyoscyamine, in skeletal muscles

1. The mechanisms underlying the postjunctional blockade induced by phenthonium [N-(4-phenyl) phenacyl 1-hyoscyamine] were investigated in mammalian and amphibian muscles. This muscarinic antagonist was previously shown to enhance specifically the spontaneous acetylcholine (ACh) release at concentrations that blocked neuromuscular transmission. 2. In both rat diaphragm and frog sartorius muscles, phenthonium (Phen, 1-100 microM) depressed the muscle twitches elicited by nerve stimulation (IC50: 23 microM and 5 microM, respectively), and blocked the nerve-evoked muscle action potential. The neuromuscular blockade was not reversed after incubation with neostigmine. 3. Equal concentrations of Phen decreased the rate of rise and prolonged the falling phase of the directly elicited action potential in frog sartorius muscle fibres, indicating that the drug also affects the sodium and potassium conductance. 4. Phen (50 and 100 microM) protected the ACh receptor against alpha-bungarotoxin (BUTX) blockade in the mouse diaphragm allowing recording of endplate potentials and action potentials after 5 h wash with physiological salt solution. 5. Phen (10-100 microM) produced a concentration- and voltage-dependent decrease of the endplate current (e.p.c.), and induced nonlinearity of the current-voltage relationship. At high concentrations Phen also shortened the decay time constant of e.p.c (tau(e.p.c.)) and reduced its voltage sensitivity. 6. At the same range of concentrations, Phen also reduced the initial rate of [125I]-BUTX binding to junctional ACh receptors of the rat diaphragm (apparent dissociation constant = 24 microM), the relationship between the degree of inhibition and antagonist concentration being that expected for a competitive mechanism. 7. It is concluded that Phen affects the electrical excitability of the muscle fibre membrane, and blocks neuromuscular transmission through a mechanism that affects the agonist binding to its recognition site and ionic channel conductance of the nicotinic ACh receptor.

Prejunctional regulatory actions of androgens on a hormone sensitive muscle

The influence of androgens and time course of effects induced by hormone deprivation were examined on the spontaneous transmitter release in the levator ani (LA) muscle of 30-180-day-old male rats. The resting membrane potential (RMP) and miniature endplate potentials (mepps) were recorded intracellularly from LA muscle fibers of intact animals or gonadectomized at different ages. In intact animals, the frequency of mepps increased proportionately to the muscle fiber growth up to 60 days, stabilizing thereafter. Gonadectomy at any age did not affect the RMP, but increased the frequency of mepps by 65% to 140%. The effect was detected after 15 days and was unrelated to the degree of muscle atrophy. Independently of the age of gonadectomy control values of mepp frequency were restored after 90 days, while the accompanying postjunctional changes persisted. These results indicate that androgens exert a prejunctional inhibitory influence on the spontaneous transmitter release in the rat LA muscle. The transient nature of the prejunctional effect induced by hormone deprivation indicates an adjustment of nerve terminals to persistent postjunctional alterations.

Testosterone control of endplate and non-endplate acetylcholinesterase in the rat levator ani muscle

The time course of effects of castration (5-60 days) and testosterone treatment (15-60 days) of adult male rats were examined on the endplate (+EP) and non-endplate (-EP) acetylcholinesterase (AChE) of the androgen-dependent levator ani (LA) muscle. The thiocholine method was used to determine the enzyme activity. Castration caused LA muscle atrophy within 5 days but reduced the -EP and +EP AChE after 10 and 20 days, respectively. Following 30 days castration -EP and +EP AChE reached respectively 41% and 35% of control activity. Testosterone retrieval restored the control values of both muscle weight and total AChE after 15 and 60 days, respectively. Recovery of the +EP AChE preceded that of -EP AChE by 30 days. The results showed that in the rat LA muscle, +EP and -EP AChE depend on a continuous testosterone regulation that predominates at +EP region spreading thereafter to -EP region. Those data suggest a hormone regulation of AChE exerted indirectly through the synthesis and release of neurotrophic substances.

Physiology and mechanics of rat levator ani muscle: evidence for a sexual function

The levator ani (LA) of male rodents is a classic model tissue for the study of hormone-muscle interactions, although its functions remain unknown. Recordings during copulation from chronic electromyographic (EMG) electrodes in the LA and bulbospongiosus (BS) revealed that EMG activity in the LA and BS was tightly coordinated. The LA was not active during noncopulatory behaviors, including the 1-min interval surrounding defecation. Electrical stimulation of the LA motor nerves increased penile bulb pressure. Increases in penile bulb pressure following BS nerve stimulation were markedly attenuated after LA denervation and were reduced further by LA removal. Stimulation of the LA nerve yielded insignificant changes in rectal pressure. Perineal motion analysis demonstrated that the LA acts upon the penile bulb and the surrounding BS exclusively. Apparently the rodent LA muscle is an active component in a highly coordinated neuromuscular system augmenting penile erection and, contrary to its name, is most unlikely to participate in alimentary function.

Ontogeny of steroid accumulation in spinal lumbar motoneurons of the rat: implications for androgen's site of action during synapse elimination

Androgens influence the postnatal development of motoneurons in the spinal nucleus of the bulbocavernosus (SNB) by regulating neuromuscular synapse elimination, the process through which multiple axonal inputs are retracted from each muscle fiber until single innervation is established. In the rat levator ani (LA), one of the target muscles for SNB motoneurons, much of this loss of multiple innervation can be prevented by prepubertal androgen treatment. We used steroid autoradiography to measure the ontogeny of steroid accumulation in the SNB and the retrodorsolateral nucleus (RDLN), two motoneuronal groups thought to differ in their sensitivity to androgens. Spinal cord tissue was analyzed from castrated male rats at 7, 14, 21, and 60 days of age after injection of radiolabelled testosterone. SNB and RDLN motoneurons differ in the ontogeny of androgen accumulation. Over 80% of SNB motoneurons develop the capacity to accumulate androgen during the second week after birth, during the period when androgen regulates synapse elimination in the LA. In contrast, androgen accumulation in RDLN motoneurons develops much later (after 21 days). These data suggest that androgen may act directly on SNB motoneurons to influence synapse elimination.

The effects of testosterone or insulin treatment on contractile responses of the rat vas deferens following castration or streptozotocin-induced diabetes mellitus

1. Castration and streptozotocin-induced diabetes produce significant decreases in serum testosterone levels accompanied by decreased vas deferens weights, a decreased responsiveness to nerve stimulation, and altered contractile responses to carbachol and phenylephrine. 2. Treatment of castrated rats with testosterone for 8 weeks prevented the decreased vas deferens weights and contractile changes associated with castration. 3. Treatment of diabetic rats with testosterone for 8 weeks prevented the decreased vas deferens weights and the supersensitivity to contractile agonists associated with diabetes. Testosterone treatment only partially prevented the decreased response to nerve stimulation. 4. Treatment of diabetic rats with testosterone plus insulin for 8 weeks prevented the decreased vas deferens weights and decreased the sensitivity to carbachol and phenylephrine compared to controls. Testosterone plus insulin treatment prevented the decreased response to nerve stimulation. 5. There were no differences in the IC50 values for nitrendipine among any of the groups studied, suggesting that the contractile changes observed in vasa deferentia following castration or diabetes are not the result of changes in calcium movements. 6. The results suggest that decreased testosterone levels are at least partially responsible for the changes in contractility of the vas deferens of streptozotocin-diabetic rats.

Androgens modulate endplate size and ACh receptor density at synapses in rat levator ani muscle

The dorsal bulbocavernosus or "levator ani" muscle of the rat is highly responsive to androgens. Both the muscle and the motoneurons which innervate it contain high concentrations of androgen receptors. The neuromuscular synapses in this muscle are also affected by changing androgen levels. In particular, the total number of ACh receptors (AChRs) in the muscle is lower in males that have been castrated, and it increases after treatment with the androgens, testosterone and 5 alpha-dihydrotestosterone. An examination of individual endplates using histochemistry and quantitative autoradiography suggested that the reduction in AChR number following castration is caused by reductions in both the size of endplates and in the density of AChRs at each synapse.

Structural and functional analysis of murine skeletal muscle after castration

A previous histochemical and morphometric study demonstrated that castration caused a significant decrease in myofiber and muscle size in the extensor digitorum longus (EDL) muscles of male ReJ 129 mice. The objective of the present study was to examine the effects of castration on the morphology and physiology of the EDL. Muscle wet weight was significantly decreased in the castrated group. The morphological survey demonstrated a significant degree of degeneration in the EDL muscles from castrated animals, consisting of disruption of normal myofilament arrangement and necrosis, invasion of active macrophages, and atrophic myofibers. These findings were significantly correlated with the decrease in peak tension observed in the castrated groups. No significant difference was detected in the time to peak tension and half-relaxation time in the castrated groups compared with the control. Thus, alterations of the morphological integrity and myofiber size of skeletal muscle affect muscle strength in castrated animals.

Synapse elimination occurs late in the hormone-sensitive levator ani muscle of the rat

Using tetranitroblue tetrazolium (TNBT) to stain neuromuscular synapses, we compared the development of the adult pattern of innervation in two fast-twitch muscles in the rat: the androgen-sensitive levator ani (LA) and the extensor digitorum longus (EDL), which is not thought to be androgen sensitive. We found that about 18% of adult LA muscle fibers, but only about 2% of adult EDL fibers, are multiply innervated. Moreover, synapse elimination occurs substantially later in the LA compared with the EDL. At 2 weeks after birth, the EDL is already predominantly singly innervated, whereas the LA is still predominantly multiply innervated. The apparent delay in the normal time course of synapse elimination in the LA corresponds to a similar delay in other aspects of neuromuscular development (the time course of appearance of axonal retraction bulbs, the growth of fibers, and the development of adult motor terminal morphology). Finally, motor terminals change during synapse elimination from morphologies resembling growth cones to the adult form of neuromuscular synapses. Because the period of synapse elimination is significantly different for muscles that differ in their androgen sensitivity, hormonal sensitivity may represent an important property of motoneurons or muscle fibers influencing the normal time course of neuromuscular synapse elimination in rats. Thus, androgen might regulate the normal ontogenetic process of synapse elimination.

Trophic control of cholinesterase activity in a testosterone-dependent muscle of the rat. II. Effects of testosterone administration

The effects of testosterone on the weight, protein content, and acetylcholinesterase (AChE) activity were investigated in the hormone-dependent levator ani and nondependent extensor digitorum longus and soleus muscles from normal or castrated male rats. In either group some muscles were also chronically denervated. Testosterone propionate treatment (3 mg/week for 2 weeks, s.c.) of normal rats increased the weight and protein content of the levator ani, respectively, by 19% and 63%; the muscle AChE was not affected. Protein content, but not the weight of the normal extensor digitorum longus and soleus was also increased after testosterone; AChE was reduced by 20% in the extensor digitorum longus and unaltered in the soleus. In castrated rats, testosterone reversed the levator ani atrophy and slowed down the decay of AChE, but it did not restore the normal enzyme activity. Testosterone did not prevent the atrophy and AChE decrease induced by denervation of either muscle. The weight and protein content of the denervated levator ani from castrated rats were increased by testosterone to the values found in denervated muscles from normal rats; AChE in the same muscles was not increased. The results confirm that separate mechanisms regulate protein synthesis and AChE in the rat levator ani. AChE is mainly regulated by neural factors which in turn appear to be influenced by circulating androgens. Similar hormonal influence on the muscle AChE was not detected in the extensor digitorum longus and soleus muscles.

Hormonal control of muscle growth

In muscle of whole animals, pituitary growth hormone, the thyroid hormones, and insulin are major growth-promoting hormones, and the glucocorticoids have significant catabolic actions. At the cellular level the primary anabolic hormones for cultured myoblasts are the somatomedins (insulin-like growth factors) and fibroblast growth factor. In these cells physiological concentrations of growth hormone, thyroid hormones, and insulin have no growth-promoting effect; some of the reported actions of insulin probably result from cross-reaction with the somatomedin receptor. Results with purified proteins do not support the view that mitogens block myoblast differentiation; transforming growth factor-beta and interferon are nonmitogenic proteins that inhibit differentiation, insulin-like growth factors are mitogens that stimulate differentiation, and fibroblast growth factor is the only purified mitogen that inhibits differentiation. At least six serum-free media have now been devised for the growth of various kinds of muscle cells under closely defined conditions.

Influence of castration on the membrane reactivity of the guinea-pig vas deferens

The guinea-pig vas deferens is a quiescent muscle which after castration undergoes atrophy and shows spontaneous contractions preceded by membrane spike activity. The influence of castration on the spontaneous release of neurotransmitters and on the internal concentration of sodium and potassium ions was studied. Utilizing the microelectrode technique it was shown that castration induces a partial depolarization (10 mV) of the cell membrane, but did not change the frequency of spontaneous excitatory junction potentials (SEJPs) of guinea-pig vas deferens. However, the time-course and the amplitude of the SEJPs were increased after castration, probably because of changes in membrane properties related to organ atrophy. Castration probably promotes a change in the ionic permeability of the smooth muscle fibre, since the ratio pNa/pK was twice that of control muscles.

Trophic control of cholinesterase activity in a testosterone-dependent muscle of the rat: effects of castration and denervation

The effects of testosterone withdrawal and chronic denervation on muscle weight and acetylcholinesterase (AChE) activity were studied in the hormone-sensitive levator ani muscle of the rat. Castration of adult male rats for 7 to 60 days caused a linear decrease of the weight, protein content, and AChE activity of the muscle, which stabilized after 30 days. Muscle weight and protein content decreased 2.3% per day. The total AChE activity decreased 7 days later 3.2% per day, reaching 37% of control at day 30. AChE activity per unit weight was increased in all castrated groups. Muscle weights and AChE activity of the extensor digitorum longus and soleus muscles were not altered after castration. Denervation of all three muscles caused 50% reduction of the muscle weight and protein content after 15 days. Total AChE activity decayed exponentially with a rate of 0.12 per day to 15 to 18% of control values. AChE activity per unit weight in the denervated muscles was always lower than in the control muscles. Combined castration and denervation intensified only the levator ani protein loss. The different onset and time course of the effects induced by castration and denervation indicate distinct mechanisms involved in the trophic control of muscle proteins and AChE activity. Chronic muscle denervation decreased total AChE activity to 15% of normal, whereas castration reduced the enzyme to 40% of the control values. The results indicate that neuronal and hormonal influences on AChE activity of the levator ani are not additive but overlap.

Testosterone application influences sympathetic activity of intracardiac nerves in non-trained and trained mice

Application of testosterone and/or physical exercise causes degenerative and then regenerative patterns of intracardiac sympathetic neurons. Observations in 3 stages (1, 3 and 6 weeks) illustrate the adaptative changes of sympathetic neurons as a response to these stimuli and show that the effects following testosterone application or physical exercise are comparable. Ultrastructural investigations indicate that the sympathetic neurons are more sensitive to testosterone than to physical exercise. The combination of testosterone plus training indicates overlapping effects of these two stimuli. The system of adrenergic nerve fibers seems to be overstimulated. Its reaction pattern is found not only to depend on time but also on the intensity of the stimuli.