Research Article
Creatine Prevents the Structural and Functional Damage to Mitochondria in Myogenic, Oxidatively Stressed C2C12 Cells and Restores Their Differentiation Capacity
Figure 1
Protective effect of Cr on oxidant-injured mitochondria in differentiating C2C12 myoblasts. TEM micrographs and confocal images were taken immediately after oxidative stress at DifD1. Images were representative of five independent experiments. (a) H2O2 treatment induced cytoplasmic vacuolization, mitochondrial swelling, and disruption; Cr prevented the effect of H2O2: Cr-supplemented cells appeared comparable to the controls, showing lower cytoplasmic vacuolization and numerous elongated mitochondria with perfectly preserved cristae. Bar = 2, 1, and 0.5 μm specified in each micrograph. V: vacuole; A: autophagosome; M: mitochondrion. (b) Confocal microscopy of C2C12 myoblasts after double staining with MitoTracker (MTR) and LysoTracker (LTG) showing the mitochondrial network morphology and lysosome distribution within myocytes and the effect of oxidative challenge with or without Cr supplementation. Bar = 25 μm. (c) Analysis of confocal images showing the quantification of mitochondrial mass. (d) Number of cells with fragmented mitochondria. (e) Extent of colocalization of MTR and LTG. Data are the means SD. ; compared to control ().
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