Figure 9.

A schematic diagram summarising the mechanism we propose underlies the non-genomic effects of BDP in mammalian muscle fibres

Our hypothesis is that some of the GRs (‘GCR’ in the figure) are localised in the basement membrane where they are bound by laminin and that their stimulation by GCs leads to the activation of either integrins (in fast-twitch fibres) or dystroglycan (in slow-twitch fibres). We also think that integrins recruit and activate FAK leading eventually to the phosphorylation of p38 MAPK and ERK1&2, whereas dystroglycans act lower down the pathway and lead to the activation of JNK. We also think that FAK has inhibitory effects on the dystroglycan pathway.