Beyond the Burn: Muscle’s Secret Signal
This research explores how redox signaling (the balance of oxidation and reduction in cells) affects how skeletal muscles change in response to exercise and inactivity. When muscles contract during exercise, they produce reactive oxygen species (ROS) – molecules that can damage cells but also act as positive signals. This ROS production is temporary. However, prolonged inactivity leads to a constant increase in ROS, causing long-term oxidative stress. This difference in ROS levels triggers different cell signaling pathways. These pathways affect how genes are expressed, altering the muscle’s structure and function. The paper examines where ROS are produced in muscles during both exercise and inactivity and discusses how the body regulates ROS levels through antioxidants. Finally, it details specific signaling pathways influenced by redox signals that impact how muscles adapt to exercise and inactivity, including pathways involving Nrf2, NF-κB, FOXO transcription factors, as well as various kinases.
https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S221323172200146X?via%3Dihub
