Figure 1. Effect of net stimulation time of contractile stimulation on the blunting of protein synthesis rate and associated signalling in rat skeletal muscle ex vivo.

Excised rat epitrochlearis muscles were incubated at rest (basal) or electrically stimulated to contract ex vivo (contraction) at 2% (200 ms trains every 10 s) or 10% (200 ms trains every 2 s) net stimulation time (NST). Protein synthesis rate was measured in muscles over a 30 min period of rest or stimulation. delta = difference between basal and contraction values. Data are mean ±s.e.m., n= 10; *P < 0.01 vs. basal. Samples from basal or contracted muscles were frozen rapidly after stimulation, processed and immunoblotted for phospho-Thr⁵⁶ eukaryotic elongation factor 2 (eEF2), phospho-Thr^37/46 eIF4 binding protein 1 (4EBP1), phospho-Thr¹⁷²-AMP-activated protein kinase (AMPK) α-subunit and phospho-Ser²¹⁸-acetyl-CoA-carboxylase-β (ACCβ). Data are mean ±s.e.m., n= 5; *P < 0.05 vs. basal; †P < 0.05 vs. 10%. Representative immunoblots are shown.