Effect of chronic alcohol intake on the expression of muscle atrophy-related proteins in growing rats

In this study, the effect of chronic alcohol intake for 4 weeks on the muscular atrophy factors of rat skeletal muscle was studied using 6-week-old growing Sprague-Dawley rats. Experimental animals were classified into a control group and an alcohol intake group. The alcohol intake group consumed alcohol orally at a concentration of 3-g/kg body weight every day for 4 weeks. The control group consumed tap water in the same way. After 4 weeks alcohol ingestion, glucose, total cholesterol, triglyceride, and high-density lipoprotein cholesterol in serum levels were measured. Western blot was performed to detect the expressions of muscle RING-finger protein-1 (MuRF1), protein kinase B (Akt), phosphorylated Akt (p-Akt), forkhead box O (FoxO), phosphorylated FoxO (p-FoxO), p38, and phosphorylated p38 (p-p38). Results of this experiment showed that chronic alcohol intake enhanced triglyceride concentration. Chronic alcohol intake increased MuRF1 expression to promote muscle proteolysis and decreased p-Akt/Akt ratio and p-FoxO/FoxO ratio to inhibit skeletal muscle growth. Therefore, alcohol consumption has been shown to cause muscle atrophy.