Neuromuscular electrical stimulation training induces myonuclear accretion and hypertrophy in mice without overt signs of muscle damage and regeneration

Abstract Background Skeletal muscle is a plastic tissue that adapts to increased mechanical loading/contractile activity through fusion of muscle stem cells (MuSCs) with myofibers, a physiological process referred to as myonuclear accretion. However, it is still unclear whether myonuclear accretion...

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Main Authors: Aurélie Fessard, Aliki Zavoriti, Natacha Boyer, Jules Guillemaud, Masoud Rahmati, Peggy Del Carmine, Christelle Gobet, Bénédicte Chazaud, Julien Gondin
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: BMC 2025-02-01
Series:Skeletal Muscle
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Online Access:https://doi.org/10.1186/s13395-024-00372-0
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author Aurélie Fessard
Aliki Zavoriti
Natacha Boyer
Jules Guillemaud
Masoud Rahmati
Peggy Del Carmine
Christelle Gobet
Bénédicte Chazaud
Julien Gondin
author_facet Aurélie Fessard
Aliki Zavoriti
Natacha Boyer
Jules Guillemaud
Masoud Rahmati
Peggy Del Carmine
Christelle Gobet
Bénédicte Chazaud
Julien Gondin
author_sort Aurélie Fessard
collection DOAJ
description Abstract Background Skeletal muscle is a plastic tissue that adapts to increased mechanical loading/contractile activity through fusion of muscle stem cells (MuSCs) with myofibers, a physiological process referred to as myonuclear accretion. However, it is still unclear whether myonuclear accretion is driven by increased mechanical loading per se, or occurs, at least in part, in response to muscle injury/regeneration. Here, we developed a non-damaging protocol to evaluate contractile activity-induced myonuclear accretion/hypertrophy in physiological conditions. Methods Contractile activity was generated by applying repeated electrical stimuli over the mouse plantar flexor muscles. This method is commonly referred to as NeuroMuscular Electrical Simulation (NMES) in Human. Each NMES training session consisted of 80 isometric contractions delivered at ∼15% of maximal tetanic force to avoid muscle damage. C57BL/6J male mice were submitted to either a short (i.e., 6 sessions) or long (i.e., 12 sessions) individualized NMES training program while unstimulated mice were used as controls. Histological investigations were performed to assess the impact of NMES on MuSC number and status, myonuclei content and muscle tissue integrity, typology and size. Results NMES led to a robust proliferation of MuSCs and myonuclear accretion in the absence of overt signs of muscle damage/regeneration. NMES-induced myonuclear accretion was specific to type IIB myofibers and was an early event preceding muscle hypertrophy inasmuch as a mild increase in myofiber cross-sectional area was only observed in response to the long-term NMES training protocol. Conclusion We conclude that NMES-induced myonuclear accretion and muscle hypertrophy are driven by a mild increase in mechanical loading in the absence of overt signs of muscle injury.
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spelling doaj-art-d3cdb2d67e114907992d932f92873ee32025-02-09T13:00:17ZengBMCSkeletal Muscle2044-50402025-02-0115111510.1186/s13395-024-00372-0Neuromuscular electrical stimulation training induces myonuclear accretion and hypertrophy in mice without overt signs of muscle damage and regenerationAurélie Fessard0Aliki Zavoriti1Natacha Boyer2Jules Guillemaud3Masoud Rahmati4Peggy Del Carmine5Christelle Gobet6Bénédicte Chazaud7Julien Gondin8Institut NeuroMyoGène (INMG), Unité Physiopathologie et Génétique du Neurone et du Muscle, Université Claude Bernard Lyon 1Institut NeuroMyoGène (INMG), Unité Physiopathologie et Génétique du Neurone et du Muscle, Université Claude Bernard Lyon 1Institut NeuroMyoGène (INMG), Unité Physiopathologie et Génétique du Neurone et du Muscle, Université Claude Bernard Lyon 1Institut NeuroMyoGène (INMG), Unité Physiopathologie et Génétique du Neurone et du Muscle, Université Claude Bernard Lyon 1Institut NeuroMyoGène (INMG), Unité Physiopathologie et Génétique du Neurone et du Muscle, Université Claude Bernard Lyon 1Institut NeuroMyoGène (INMG), Unité Physiopathologie et Génétique du Neurone et du Muscle, Université Claude Bernard Lyon 1Institut NeuroMyoGène (INMG), Unité Physiopathologie et Génétique du Neurone et du Muscle, Université Claude Bernard Lyon 1Institut NeuroMyoGène (INMG), Unité Physiopathologie et Génétique du Neurone et du Muscle, Université Claude Bernard Lyon 1Institut NeuroMyoGène (INMG), Unité Physiopathologie et Génétique du Neurone et du Muscle, Université Claude Bernard Lyon 1Abstract Background Skeletal muscle is a plastic tissue that adapts to increased mechanical loading/contractile activity through fusion of muscle stem cells (MuSCs) with myofibers, a physiological process referred to as myonuclear accretion. However, it is still unclear whether myonuclear accretion is driven by increased mechanical loading per se, or occurs, at least in part, in response to muscle injury/regeneration. Here, we developed a non-damaging protocol to evaluate contractile activity-induced myonuclear accretion/hypertrophy in physiological conditions. Methods Contractile activity was generated by applying repeated electrical stimuli over the mouse plantar flexor muscles. This method is commonly referred to as NeuroMuscular Electrical Simulation (NMES) in Human. Each NMES training session consisted of 80 isometric contractions delivered at ∼15% of maximal tetanic force to avoid muscle damage. C57BL/6J male mice were submitted to either a short (i.e., 6 sessions) or long (i.e., 12 sessions) individualized NMES training program while unstimulated mice were used as controls. Histological investigations were performed to assess the impact of NMES on MuSC number and status, myonuclei content and muscle tissue integrity, typology and size. Results NMES led to a robust proliferation of MuSCs and myonuclear accretion in the absence of overt signs of muscle damage/regeneration. NMES-induced myonuclear accretion was specific to type IIB myofibers and was an early event preceding muscle hypertrophy inasmuch as a mild increase in myofiber cross-sectional area was only observed in response to the long-term NMES training protocol. Conclusion We conclude that NMES-induced myonuclear accretion and muscle hypertrophy are driven by a mild increase in mechanical loading in the absence of overt signs of muscle injury.https://doi.org/10.1186/s13395-024-00372-0Muscle stem cellsSkeletal muscle plasticityForce productionContractile activityResistance training
spellingShingle Aurélie Fessard
Aliki Zavoriti
Natacha Boyer
Jules Guillemaud
Masoud Rahmati
Peggy Del Carmine
Christelle Gobet
Bénédicte Chazaud
Julien Gondin
Neuromuscular electrical stimulation training induces myonuclear accretion and hypertrophy in mice without overt signs of muscle damage and regeneration
Skeletal Muscle
Muscle stem cells
Skeletal muscle plasticity
Force production
Contractile activity
Resistance training
title Neuromuscular electrical stimulation training induces myonuclear accretion and hypertrophy in mice without overt signs of muscle damage and regeneration
title_full Neuromuscular electrical stimulation training induces myonuclear accretion and hypertrophy in mice without overt signs of muscle damage and regeneration
title_fullStr Neuromuscular electrical stimulation training induces myonuclear accretion and hypertrophy in mice without overt signs of muscle damage and regeneration
title_full_unstemmed Neuromuscular electrical stimulation training induces myonuclear accretion and hypertrophy in mice without overt signs of muscle damage and regeneration
title_short Neuromuscular electrical stimulation training induces myonuclear accretion and hypertrophy in mice without overt signs of muscle damage and regeneration
title_sort neuromuscular electrical stimulation training induces myonuclear accretion and hypertrophy in mice without overt signs of muscle damage and regeneration
topic Muscle stem cells
Skeletal muscle plasticity
Force production
Contractile activity
Resistance training
url https://doi.org/10.1186/s13395-024-00372-0
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