Effect of tumour necrosis factor-alpha on total myofibrillar and sarcoplasmic protein synthesis and polysomal aggregation in rat skeletal muscles.

The total sarcoplasmic and myofibrillar protein synthesis was reduced in incubated fast-twitch extensor digitorum longus (EDL) and slow-twitch soleus of rat after in vivo tumour necrosis factor-alpha treatment at 50 micrograms/kg/day for 5 days. The rate of protein synthesis in the myofibrillar fraction was inhibited more severely (41% in EDL and 34% in soleus) than that in the sarcoplasmic fraction (23% in EDL and 14% in soleus). Sucrose density gradient centrifugation analysis indicated that TNF-alpha treatment impaired polysomal aggregation in rat diaphragm muscle. Compared with the control muscles, the ratio of 40S and 60S subunits to polysomes was higher in TNF-alpha treated muscles. These findings suggest a role for TNF-alpha in the translational regulation of protein synthesis in rat skeletal muscle.