TEMPERATURE AS MODIFIER OF MAMMALIAN SKELETAL MUSCLE FUNCTION AND OF MUSCLE RESPONSIVENESS TO PHYSIOLOGICAL FACTORS
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$256,018.00
Summary
Contracting muscles are a major source of heat production in the body. Heat produced by contracting muscles can cause muscle damage if muscle temperature increases above 44oC. Also, overheating from external sources can cause an increase in muscle temperature in the upper physiological range of temperature (37-44oC) which can so readily happen to humans and animals caught in blistering sun or in closed cars parked in the sun. However, very little is known about what happens to the ability of the ....Contracting muscles are a major source of heat production in the body. Heat produced by contracting muscles can cause muscle damage if muscle temperature increases above 44oC. Also, overheating from external sources can cause an increase in muscle temperature in the upper physiological range of temperature (37-44oC) which can so readily happen to humans and animals caught in blistering sun or in closed cars parked in the sun. However, very little is known about what happens to the ability of the skeletal muscle to contract when the temperature increases in this upper physiological range of temperature. This project seeks to fill in this important gap in our knowledge and increase our understanding about the existence of protective mechanisms in muscle to prevent heat-induced damage to the muscle. Such mechanisms would allow the body to operate very close to the lethal range of temperature and may be mainly responsible for the severe muscle weakness in overheated individuals. Results obtained from the project can have far reaching implications for human physiology in general and muscle and exercise physiology in particular and for developing new strategies in the treatment of collapse from body overheating. The project will also produce new knowledge regarding the mechanism of action of drugs used in the treatment of certain mental disorders but which can trigger, in susceptible individuals, uncontrolled contraction of muscles and overheating.Read moreRead less
Control Of Cardiac And Skeletal Contractility By Luminal Calcium Store Load In Health And Disease
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$415,138.00
Summary
Disorders affecting skeletal muscle and the heart can have life threatening effects and lead to impaired mobility and sudden cardiac death. This project will uncover the mechanisms of disorders which lead to skeletal muscle fatigue, chemotherapy induced toxicity in the heart and heart failure. Understanding these mechanisms may lead to successful gene therapy treatment and to the design of a new range of drug therapies to treat these devastating disorders.
Decrypting The Excitation Contraction Coupling Machinery In Skeletal Muscle
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$914,869.00
Summary
Skeletal muscle function is dependent upon the fine control of calcium levels. When communication of key proteins in muscle are compromised, calcium levels are uncontrolled leading to severe disabilities. The molecular pathways that control signalling between key muscle proteins is currently unknown and shedding light on this topic will aid in the discovery of therapies for muscle-associated disabilities in disease and with aging.
Nutrient-training Interactions In Human Skeletal Muscle
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$53,659.00
Summary
Skeletal muscle accounts for 50% of total body mass with critical roles in body movement and blood glucose regulation. Exercise is a potent stimulus for maintaining/ increasing muscle mass, an effect that is augmented when combined with protein ingestion. The aims of this proposal are to better understand this exercise-nutrient interaction to optimize the prescription of programs and recovery strategies as a countermeasure for muscle degeneration with aging and disease.
Molecular Basis Of Ca2+-dependent Disruption Of EC-coupling And Weakness In Skeletal Muscle
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$530,976.00
Summary
One major cause of weakness in skeletal muscle appears to stem from damage to the mechanism controlling release of calcium ions from internal stores and consequent contraction. This project examines whether the damage is due to excessive levels of intracellular calcium ions activating enzymes that cut a particular vital molecule controlling calcium release. The findings could identify a major factor in muscle weakness in muscular dystrophy and other conditions and lead to specific therapies.
Mechanisms Regulating Excitation-contraction Coupling In Skeletal Muscle
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$687,750.00
Summary
Muscle contraction occurs when an electrical impulse from a nerve travels over the surface of a skeletal muscle fibre and triggers the release of calcium ions from special stores inside the fibre. However, little is known about the regulatory mechanisms involved in turning on and turning off the calcium release. This project investigates the properties of the calcium release and what processes are involved in regulating it. Information about this is vital for understanding how normal muscle work ....Muscle contraction occurs when an electrical impulse from a nerve travels over the surface of a skeletal muscle fibre and triggers the release of calcium ions from special stores inside the fibre. However, little is known about the regulatory mechanisms involved in turning on and turning off the calcium release. This project investigates the properties of the calcium release and what processes are involved in regulating it. Information about this is vital for understanding how normal muscle works and why muscles show reduced performance with exercise (muscle fatigue), with aging, and in certain diseases.Read moreRead less
Viral Therapy For Skeletal Muscle Alpha-actin Disease And Discovery Of Novel Neuromuscular Disease Genes And Mechanisms
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$324,028.00
Summary
This research project is the next logical step towards treating patients with skeletal muscle actin disease - using viral delivery of normal actin genes in animal models of actin disease. Another arm of this project is to investigate the genetics and mechanisms causing two very different groups of muscle disorders in the Australian population: devastating muscle weakness in the foetal akinesias and enhanced muscle strength and bulk in individuals with strongman syndromes.