Physiol. Genomics 32: 219-228, 2008.
First published October 23, 2007; doi:10.1152/physiolgenomics.00157.2007
1094-8341/08 $8.00
Received 14 July 2007;
accepted in final form 15 October 2007.
Physiological Genomics 32:219-228 (2008)
1094-8341/08 $8.00 © 2008 American Physiological Society
Global and targeted gene expression and protein content in skeletal muscle of young men following short-term creatine monohydrate supplementation
Adeel Safdar1,2,
Nicholas J. Yardley2,
Rodney Snow3,
Simon Melov4 and
Mark A. Tarnopolsky2
1 Department of Kinesiology, McMaster University, Hamilton, Ontario, Canada
2 Departments of Pediatrics and Medicine, McMaster University, Hamilton, Ontario, Canada
3 School of Exercise and Nutrition Sciences, Deakin University, Burwood, Australia
4 Buck Institute for Aging Research, Novato, California
Creatine monohydrate (CrM) supplementation has been shown to increase fat-free mass and muscle power output possibly via cell swelling. Little is known about the cellular response to CrM. We investigated the effect of short-term CrM supplementation on global and targeted mRNA expression and protein content in human skeletal muscle. In a randomized, placebo-controlled, crossover, double-blind design, 12 young, healthy, nonobese men were supplemented with either a placebo (PL) or CrM (loading phase, 20 g/day x 3 days; maintenance phase, 5 g/day x 7 days) for 10 days. Following a 28-day washout period, subjects were put on the alternate supplementation for 10 days. Muscle biopsies of the vastus lateralis were obtained and were assessed for mRNA expression (cDNA microarrays + real-time PCR) and protein content (Kinetworks KPKS 1.0 Protein Kinase screen). CrM supplementation significantly increased fat-free mass, total body water, and body weight of the participants (P < 0.05). Also, CrM supplementation significantly upregulated (1.3- to 5.0-fold) the mRNA content of genes and protein content of kinases involved in osmosensing and signal transduction, cytoskeleton remodeling, protein and glycogen synthesis regulation, satellite cell proliferation and differentiation, DNA replication and repair, RNA transcription control, and cell survival. We are the first to report this large-scale gene expression in the skeletal muscle with short-term CrM supplementation, a response that suggests changes in cellular osmolarity.
ergogenic aid; osmosensing; cell signaling; cDNA microarray; real-time PCR
Copyright © 2008 by the American Physiological Society.