A single injection of endotoxin (1 mg/kg, sc) in rats caused significant fever, body weight loss and reduction in gastrocnemius muscle mass, none of which was mimicked by pair-feeding. Infusion of endotoxin via osmotic minipump over five days caused transient fever and suppression of growth. Recovery of body weight was significantly enhanced by the administration of the β2-adrenoceptor agonist clenbuterol (added to the diet at 4 mg/kg). In a separate experiment, injections of endotoxin (day 0 and day 2) caused significant reductions in body weight gain (42%), mass (9%) and protein content (13%) of gastrocnemius muscle over 3 days. Addition of clenbuterol to the diet reversed all of these effects but did not alter food intake or the febrile response to endotoxin. Clenbuterol caused large (20%) increases in the ratio of RNA to protein in muscle indicating that it may have stimulated protein synthesis. β2-adrenoceptor agonists may therefore be of value in preventing or inhibiting muscle atrophy associated with infection or injury.
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October 01 1989
Muscle wasting associated with endotoxemia in the rat: Modification by the β2-adrenoceptor agonist clenbuterol
J. J. Choo;
J. J. Choo
1Department of Physiological Sciences, University of Manchester, M13 9PT, UK
2North Western Injury Research Centre, University of Manchester, M13 9PT, UK
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M. A. Horan;
M. A. Horan
3Department of Geriatric Medicine, University of Manchester, M13 9PT, UK
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R. A. Little;
R. A. Little
2North Western Injury Research Centre, University of Manchester, M13 9PT, UK
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N. J. Rothwell
N. J. Rothwell
1Department of Physiological Sciences, University of Manchester, M13 9PT, UK
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Publisher: Portland Press Ltd
Received:
May 08 1989
Online ISSN: 1573-4935
Print ISSN: 0144-8463
© 1989 Plenum Publishing Corporation
1989
Biosci Rep (1989) 9 (5): 615–621.
Article history
Received:
May 08 1989
Citation
J. J. Choo, M. A. Horan, R. A. Little, N. J. Rothwell; Muscle wasting associated with endotoxemia in the rat: Modification by the β2-adrenoceptor agonist clenbuterol. Biosci Rep 1 October 1989; 9 (5): 615–621. doi: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF01119805
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