Gender-effect on the contractile properties of skeletal muscle in streptozotocin-induced diabetic rats

In the present study, we studied the effect of streptozotocin-induced Type 1 diabetes on contractile properties of soleus muscle in female and young male rats. We hypothesized that the gender affects the contractile function in diabetic rats. Thirty-two Sprague-Dawley rats, male and female, three months old were divided into four groups: Female Non-Diabetic (FND), Female Diabetic (FD), Male Non-Diabetic (MND) and Male Diabetic (MD). Diabetes was induced by a single dose of 60 mg/kg body weight of streptozotocin in citrate buffer pH 4.5 by intraperitoneal route. At 4 weeks after of the dose animals were considered to be diabetic if they had glucose levels ≥20 mmol/L. Soleus muscle mass and twitch force were higher in MND than in FND; in male rats, the diabetes decreased the muscle mass in 34% and the twitch force decayed in 33%; while in diabetic females the muscle mass and twitch force decayed 15% and 10% respectively. Our results showed that the diabetes has gender-dependent effects on the muscle mass and maximal contractile force.