Activin negatively affects muscle fibers and progenitor cells in aging (sarcopenia) and in chronic diseases characterized by severe muscle wasting (cachexia). High circulating activin levels predict poor survival in cancer patients. However, the relative impact of activin in mediating muscle atrophy and hampered homeostasis is still unknown.
Activin negatively affects muscle fibers and progenitor cells in aging (sarcopenia) and
in chronic diseases characterized by severe muscle wasting (cachexia). High circulating
activin levels predict poor survival in cancer patients. However, the relative impact of
activin in mediating muscle atrophy and hampered homeostasis is still unknown. To
directly assess the involvement of activin, and its physiological inhibitor follistatin, in
cancer-induced muscle atrophy, we cultured C2C12 myotubes in the absence or in
In this paper, the characterization of the main techniques and transducers employed to measure local and global strains induced by uniaxial loading of murine tibiae is presented. Micro strain gauges and digital image correlation (DIC) were tested to measure local strains, while a moving coil motor-based length transducer was employed to measure relative global shortening. Local strain is the crucial parameter to be measured when dealing with bone cell mechanotransduction, so we characterized these techniques in the experimental conditions known to activate cell mechanosensing in vivo.
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