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Journals / Acta Medica Nicomedia / 2026 / Cilt: 9

EFFECTS OF SWIMMING EXERCISE ON GASTROCNEMIUS IN SCIATIC NERVE INJURY-INDUCED MUSCLE ATROPHY AND MuRF-1 EXPRESSION

SİYATİK SİNİR HASARINA BAĞLI KAS ATROFİSİNDE YÜZME EGZERSİZİNİN GASTROKNEMİUS KASINA VE MuRF-1 EKSPRESYONUNA ETKİLERİ

Fırat Aşır(DICLE UNIVERSITY)0000-0002-6384-9146
Firat Sahin(DICLE UNIVERSITY)0000-0002-4704-8541
Pages
1–9
Publication Date
2026-06-15
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AI Summary & Key Takeaways

AI Insight
⚡ TL;DR(Too Long; Didn't Read)

These findings suggest that swimming exercise may be an effective rehabilitative strategy for reducing denervation-induced skeletal muscle atrophy.

📌 3 Key Takeaways

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Objective & Hypothesis:Objective: Peripheral nerve injuries may lead to progressive skeletal muscle degeneration during the denervation period before successful reinnervation occurs.
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Key Findings & Data:MuRF-1 is a muscle-specific E3 ubiquitin ligase involved in protein degradation and muscle atrophy.
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Conclusion & Impact:These findings suggest that swimming exercise may be an effective rehabilitative strategy for reducing denervation-induced skeletal muscle atrophy.
🔬Design:Araştırma Makalesi
📍Scope:Comprehensive Sample
⚙️Variables:Sciatic nerve injury · swimming exercise · gastrocnemius muscle

Abstract

Objective: Peripheral nerve injuries may lead to progressive skeletal muscle degeneration during the denervation period before successful reinnervation occurs. MuRF-1 is a muscle-specific E3 ubiquitin ligase involved in protein degradation and muscle atrophy. This study aimed to evaluate the effects of swimming exercise on gastrocnemius muscle degeneration and MuRF-1 expression following sciatic nerve crush injury in rats. Methods: Twenty-four male rats were divided into three groups: control, sciatic nerve injury, and injury + swimming exercise (n=8/group). Sciatic nerve crush injury was induced in the injury groups, and swimming exercise was applied for 21 days in the treatment group. Gastrocnemius muscle weight ratio, histopathological changes, and MuRF-1 immunoreactivity were evaluated. Muscle atrophy, fiber degeneration, and perimysial edema were scored semi-quantitatively. MuRF-1 expression was assessed using the H-score method. Statistical analyses were performed using one-way ANOVA and Spearman correlation analysis. Results: The injury group showed the lowest gastrocnemius muscle weight ratio (63.4±8.7%) compared with the control (98.2±3.1%) and injury + swimming groups (81.6±7.4%) (p<0.001). Histopathological analysis demonstrated significantly higher muscle atrophy, fiber degeneration, perimysial edema, and MuRF-1 immune scores in the injury group than in the control group (all p<0.001). In contrast, the injury + swimming group showed significantly lower histopathological scores and MuRF-1 immune scores than the injury group (all p<0.001). MuRF-1 H-score was positively correlated with muscle atrophy (r=0.719, p<0.001), fiber degeneration (r=0.752, p<0.001), and perimysial edema (r = 0.690, p<0.001). Conclusion: Sciatic nerve injury induced marked gastrocnemius muscle degeneration, reduced muscle mass, and increased MuRF-1 expression. Swimming exercise attenuated these changes, preserved muscle weight, and reduced MuRF-1 expression. These findings suggest that swimming exercise may be an effective rehabilitative strategy for reducing denervation-induced skeletal muscle atrophy.

Özet

Amaç: Periferik sinir yaralanmaları, başarılı reinnervasyon gerçekleşmeden önceki denervasyon döneminde ilerleyici iskelet kası dejenerasyonuna yol açabilir. MuRF-1, protein yıkımı ve kas atrofisinde rol oynayan kasa özgü bir E3 ubikuitin ligazdır. Bu çalışma, sıçanlarda siyatik sinir ezilme yaralanması sonrasında yüzme egzersizinin gastroknemius kası dejenerasyonu ve MuRF-1 ekspresyonu üzerindeki etkilerini değerlendirmeyi amaçladı. Yöntem: Yirmi dört erkek sıçan üç gruba ayrıldı: kontrol, siyatik sinir yaralanması ve yaralanma + yüzme egzersizi (n = 8/grup). Yaralanma gruplarında siyatik sinir ezilme yaralanması oluşturuldu ve tedavi grubuna 21 gün boyunca yüzme egzersizi uygulandı. Gastroknemius kas ağırlık oranı, histopatolojik değişiklikler ve MuRF-1 immünreaktivitesi değerlendirildi. Kas atrofisi, lif dejenerasyonu ve perimisyel ödem yarı kantitatif olarak skorlandı. MuRF-1 ekspresyonu H-skor yöntemi kullanılarak değerlendirildi. İstatistiksel analizler tek yönlü ANOVA ve Spearman korelasyon analizi kullanılarak yapıldı. Bulgular: Yaralanma grubu, kontrol (%98,2±3,1) ve yaralanma + yüzme gruplarına (%81,6±7,4) kıyasla en düşük gastroknemius kas ağırlık oranını gösterdi (%63,4±8,7) (p<0,001). Histopatolojik analiz, yaralanma grubunda kontrol grubuna göre anlamlı derecede daha yüksek kas atrofisi, lif dejenerasyonu, perimisyel ödem ve MuRF-1 immün skorları olduğunu gösterdi (tümü p<0,001). Buna karşılık, yaralanma + yüzme grubunda histopatolojik skorlar ve MuRF-1 immün skorları yaralanma grubuna göre anlamlı derecede daha düşüktü (tümü p<0,0001). MuRF-1 H-skoru, kas atrofisi (r=0,719, p<0,001), lif dejenerasyonu (r = 0,752, p<0,001) ve perimisyel ödem (r=0,690, p<0,001) ile pozitif korelasyon gösterdi. Sonuç: Siyatik sinir yaralanması belirgin gastroknemius kas dejenerasyonuna, kas kütlesinde azalmaya ve MuRF-1 ekspresyonunda artışa neden oldu. Yüzme egzersizi bu değişiklikleri hafifletti, kas ağırlığını korudu ve MuRF-1 ekspresyonunu azalttı. Bu bulgular, yüzme egzersizinin denervasyona bağlı iskelet kası atrofisini azaltmada etkili bir rehabilitasyon stratejisi olabileceğini düşündürmektedir.

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Cite This Article

Aşır, F., Sahin, F. (2026). EFFECTS OF SWIMMING EXERCISE ON GASTROCNEMIUS IN SCIATIC NERVE INJURY-INDUCED MUSCLE ATROPHY AND MuRF-1 EXPRESSION. Acta Medica Nicomedia, Cilt: 9, 1–9. https://doi.org/10.53446/actamednicomedia.1927172

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