Single Clove Garlic Extract Attenuates Dexamethasone-Induced C2C12 Myotube Atrophy through Akt-Related Signalling
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.48048/tis.2026.13531Keywords:
C2C12 myoblasts, Muscle atrophy, Myogenesis, Myotube, Sarcopenia, Garlic extract, Skeletal muscle, C2C12 myoblasts, Muscle atrophy, Myogenesis, Myotube, Sarcopenia, Garlic extract, Skeletal muscleAbstract
The number of older adults with skeletal muscle loss or sarcopenia is gradually increasing. In response, the interest in exploring novel drugs and supplements to attenuate muscle atrophy is growing. This research aimed to investigate the effect of single clove garlic extract (SGE) on muscle cell proliferation, differentiation, and atrophy. SGE was prepared using the maceration method. C2C12 skeletal myoblasts were treated with SGE before being subjected to MTT assay and flow cytometry to determine cell viability and proliferation. Myoblast differentiation was induced to form multinucleated myotubes, which were then treated with 10 µM dexamethasone (DEX) for 24 h to induce atrophy, in the presence or absence of SGE. After treatment, genes and proteins related to myotube atrophy were quantified using real-time PCR, immunostaining, and Western blot. Treatment with SGE (5 - 40 µg/mL) had no effect on cell viability, proliferation, or differentiation of C2C12 myoblasts. However, in myotubes treated with DEX, diameter and the expression of myosin heavy chain (MHC), MyoD, and myogenin proteins were all significantly reduced; pretreatment with SGE significantly attenuated these effects. SGE pretreatment also significantly increased the phosphorylation of Akt, P70S6K, and β-catenin, and significantly suppressed the expression of atrogin-1 compared to DEX treatment alone. Furthermore, the genes PGC-1α, NRF-1, and TFAM were significantly down-regulated in myotubes treated with DEX compared to control. Pretreatment with SGE significantly alleviated this effect. Thus, this study shows that SGE prevents muscle protein degradation and muscle atrophy induced by DEX via Akt protein phosphorylation and subsequent suppression of the atrogin-1 protein.
HIGHLIGHTS
- Single clove garlic extract (SGE) prevents dexamethasone-induced myotube atrophy
- SGE inhibits atrogin-1 protein expression via Akt phosphorylation
- Upregulated mitochondrial biogenesis alleviates myotube atrophy
- Findings support SGE as a supplement against age-related muscle atrophy
GRAPHICAL ABSTRACT
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