Beta-agonist drugs modulate the proliferation and differentiation of skeletal muscle cells in vitro

Boimpoundi Eunice Flavie Ouali; Hao-Ven Wang

doi:10.1016/j.bbrep.2021.101019

Beta-agonist drugs modulate the proliferation and differentiation of skeletal muscle cells in vitro

Biochem Biophys Rep. 2021 May 18:26:101019. doi: 10.1016/j.bbrep.2021.101019. eCollection 2021 Jul.

Authors

Boimpoundi Eunice Flavie Ouali¹, Hao-Ven Wang^{1

2

3}

Affiliations

¹ Department of Life Sciences, College of Biosciences and Biotechnology, National Cheng Kung University, Tainan City, 701, Taiwan, ROC.
² Center for Bioscience and Biotechnology, National Cheng Kung University, Tainan City, 701, Taiwan, ROC.
³ Marine Biology and Cetacean Research Center, National Cheng Kung University, Tainan City, 701, Taiwan, ROC.

Abstract

Essentially employed for the treatment of airway obstructions in humans, β-agonists are also known to have an anabolic effect in animals' skeletal muscle. In vivo and in vitro studies have attested the increase in animal body mass and the hypertrophy of muscle cells following the administration of specific β-agonists. However, the contribution of β-agonists to C2C12 myoblasts growth remains obscure. We therefore aimed to investigate the impact of β1-and β2-agonist drugs on the proliferation and differentiation of skeletal muscle cells. Direct observations and cytotoxicity assay showed that clenbuterol, salbutamol, cimaterol and ractopamine enhanced muscle cell growth and viability during the proliferation stage. Structural examinations coupled to Western blot analysis indicated that salbutamol and cimaterol triggered a decrease in myotube formation. A better comprehension of the effect of β-agonists on myogenic regulatory genes in the muscle cells is crucial to establish a specific role of β-agonists in muscle development, growth, and regeneration.

Keywords: Agonist drugs; C2C12; DM, Differentiation Medium; Differentiation; GM, Growth medium; MyHC, Myosin heavy chain; MyoD, Myoblast determination protein 1; Proliferation.