FIBROSIS IN AUTOLOGOUS REPAIRED VML-INJURED SKELETAL MUSCLE IS NOT MITIGATED BY SHORT AND MODERATE DURATION AEROBIC EXERCISE TRAINING

Authors

Eleanor R. Schrems, Exercise Muscle Biology Laboratory, Department of Health, Human Performance, and Recreation, University of Arkansas, Fayetteville, Arkansas, 72701
Richard A. Perry Jr, Department of Health and Exercise Science, Colorado State University, Fort Collins, Colorado, 80523
Sepideh S. Shakeri, Exercise Muscle Biology Laboratory, Department of Health, Human Performance, and Recreation, University of Arkansas, Fayetteville, Arkansas, 72701
Izzeldin Y. Ahmed, Exercise Muscle Biology Laboratory, Department of Health, Human Performance, and Recreation, University of Arkansas, Fayetteville, Arkansas, 72701
Ana Regina Cabrera, Cachexia Research Laboratory, Department of Health, Human Performance, and Recreation, University of Arkansas, Fayetteville, Arkansas, 72701
Nicole N. Noga, Cachexia Research Laboratory, Department of Health, Human Performance, and Recreation, University of Arkansas, Fayetteville, Arkansas, 72701
Jeffery Wolchok, Department of Biomedical Engineering, University of Arkansas, Fayetteville, Arkansas, 72701
Nicholas P. Green, Cachexia Research Laboratory, Department of Health, Human Performance, and Recreation, University of Arkansas, Fayetteville, Arkansas, 72701
Tyrone A. Washington, Exercise Muscle Biology Laboratory, Department of Health, Human Performance, and Recreation, University of Arkansas, Fayetteville, Arkansas, 72701

Abstract

Traumatic loss of skeletal muscle with irrecoverable loss of muscle function, volumetric muscle loss (VML), commonly occurs in civilian and military populations suffering severe extremity trauma and is associated with pathological fibrosis which reduces overall muscle force production. While current treatments for volumetric muscle loss (VML) remain insufficient, combined therapeutic approaches—such as autologous muscle grafts paired with exercise—have shown promising results in enhancing the rate of force recovery. Previous findings by our laboratory demonstrated accelerated force recovery following exercise in VML-injured male rats, however the exact etiology of that improvement remains elusive. PURPOSE: Evaluate the efficacy of exercise as a combinatory treatment with autologous muscle grafts on markers of muscle fibrosis in VML injured male rats. METHODS: 32 male Sprague-Dawley rats had ~20% of their left tibialis anterior (LTA) removed then replaced to act as an autologous repair with the right tibialis anterior (RTA) serving as the contralateral control. Half of the rats engaged in exercise through wheel running, while the other half served as non-exercise controls. TAs were excised at 2 and 8 weeks post-VML for morphological and gene expression analyses. RESULTS: The percentage of noncontractile tissue (%NCT) was ~5% in the RTA independent of exercise. However, %NCT was ~40% in the LTA at 2 weeks post-VML and ~27% at 8 weeks post-VML independent of exercise (p

Recommended Citation

Schrems, Eleanor R.; Perry, Richard A. Jr; Shakeri, Sepideh S.; Ahmed, Izzeldin Y.; Cabrera, Ana Regina; Noga, Nicole N.; Wolchok, Jeffery; Green, Nicholas P.; and Washington, Tyrone A. (2025) "FIBROSIS IN AUTOLOGOUS REPAIRED VML-INJURED SKELETAL MUSCLE IS NOT MITIGATED BY SHORT AND MODERATE DURATION AEROBIC EXERCISE TRAINING," International Journal of Exercise Science: Conference Proceedings: Vol. 11: Iss. 12, Article 61.
Available at: https://digitalcommons.wku.edu/ijesab/vol11/iss12/61