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. 1969 Feb;200(3):667–675. doi: 10.1113/jphysiol.1969.sp008715

Relationship between cortisone and muscle work in determining muscle size

A L Goldberg, H M Goodman
PMCID: PMC1350520  PMID: 5765854

Abstract

1. Large doses of cortisone caused marked atrophy of the plantaris muscle and other pale muscles of hind limbs of hypophysectomized rats, but hormone treatment had little effect on the size of the red soleus muscle.

2. Denervation increased the sensitivity of the soleus and plantaris to the catabolic effects of cortisone.

3. Increased work induced by tenotomy of the synergistic gastrocnemius made the plantaris muscle less sensitive to cortisone-induced atrophy.

4. Since the catabolic effects of cortisone are more pronounced in the less active muscles, it is suggested that in mobilizing body protein for gluconeogenesis the hormone spares those muscles physiologically most active.

5. The rapidity with which muscles lose weight in response to cortisone indicates that the hormone must decrease protein half-lives as well as decrease protein synthesis.

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Selected References

These references are in PubMed. This may not be the complete list of references from this article.

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