Abstract
PURPOSE: This study investigated MMPs/TIMPs balance in the rat skeletal muscle extracellular matrix after acute eccentric exercise to elucidate the effects of acupuncture on exercise-induced skeletal muscle damage and remodeling of the skeletal muscle extracellular matrix. METHODS: Eight-week-old Sprague-Dawley rats (n = 96, body wt 220 ± 6.9 g) were randomly assigned to four groups: sedentary control (C), acupuncture control (CA), exercise (E) and acupunctured exercise (EA). Animals were made to run on a motor-driven treadmill with −16° downhill tracks at a speed of 16 m/min for 90 minutes. Tissues were collected from the vastus intermedius muscle immediately, and at 24 hours, 48 hours, 72 hours and 120 hours after exercise. Western blotting was used to detect protein expression of matrix metalloproteinases-2 (MMP2), MMP9, tissue inhibitor of metalloproteinases-1 (TIMP1) and TIMP2. All animal experiments were approved by the Animal Welfare and Ethics Committee of Zhengzhou University. RESULTS: The protein expression of MMP2 (EA: 1.330 ± 0.065, E: 1.341 ± 0.120, C: 1.000 ± 0.060) reached the maximal level 24 hours and MMP9 of EA rats (EA: 3.776 ± 1.253, C: 1.000 ± 0.357, P < 0.05) and E rats (E: 5.828 ± 2.151, C: 1.000 ± 0.357, P = 0.016) reached the maximal level at 48 hours and 24 hours respectively. The protein expression of TIMP1 of EA rats (EA: 2.938 ± 0.437, C: 1.000 ± 0.251, P = 0.032) and E rats (E: 1.984 ± 0.077, C: 1.000 ± 0.251, p = 0.059) reached the maximal level at 72 hours and 48 hours respectively. The protein expression of TIMP2 of EA rats (EA: 1.477 ± 0.199, C: 1.000 ± 0.063, p = 0.067) and E rats (E: 1.371 ± 0.081, C: 1.000 ± 0.063, p = 0.074) reached the maximal level immediately after exercise. CONCLUSION: Acupuncture facilitated the recovery and regeneration of injured skeletal muscle by increasing the expression of MM2 and MMP9. TIMP1 and TIMP2 played different roles in inflammation of injured skeletal muscle.
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