FIG. 4.

Cyclic mechanical strain of C2C12 myoblasts. (A, C) Myoblasts were cultured and either kept in their proliferation media or (B, D) allowed to differentiate to form myotubes. (C, D) Cells were treated with solubilized ECM bioscaffolds for 18 h or were left in media and were then mechanically strained for 5 h, or (A, B) were left unstrained. (E) All treatments were associated with MyoD expression. (F) SIS-ECM treatment increased expression of desmin, with an additional increase after myoblasts were mechanically strained. (G) Mechanical strain increased myotube formation shown by myosin heavy chain (MHC) expression. (*p < 0.05, **p < 0.01, n = 5, error bars represent standard error of the mean). SIS-ECM, small intestinal submucosa extracellular matrix.