Wheat alkylresorcinols regulate muscle fiber type conversion and myogenic differentiation via miR-34a/SIRT1 axis

Abstract

Background

Alkylresorcinols (ARs) are phenolic lipids and widely distributed in whole grains such as wheat and rye. Obesity-induced skeletal muscle dysregulation is exhibited as muscle weakness and muscle atrophy. ARs have been demonstrated to mitigate muscle dysfunction, while their potential role in modulating myotube differentiation and myofiber type transition remains unclear. This study employed palmitic acid-treated C2C12 cells and high-fat diet (HFD)-induced murine models to elucidate the underlying mechanisms through which ARs potentially ameliorate skeletal muscle impairment associated with obesity.

Results

The results showed that ARs significantly increased exercise capacity of HFD-fed mice. The transformation from fast-twitch myofibers to slow-twitch myofibers, muscle growth and differentiation were improved by ARs treatment in obese mice. The expression levels of MyoD, MyoG and slow-MyHC proteins were upregulated, and the expression levels of MSTN and fast-MyHC proteins were downregulated after ARs intervention. Furthermore, ARs exhibited beneficial effects by regulating the miR-34a/SIRT1 axis which was evidenced by inhibiting the level of miR-34a and increasing the level of downstream SIRT1. Additionally, the expression of MyoD, MyoG and slow-MyHC proteins was decreased in miR-34a mimic-transfected C2C12 cells, while ARs pretreatment abolished this trend.

Conclusion

These findings indicate that ARs exert essential roles in obesity-associated skeletal muscle dysfunction via the miR-34a/SIRT1 axis. © 2025 Society of Chemical Industry.