The Effects of Calcium-β-Hydroxy-β-Methylbutyrate on Aging-Associated Apoptotic Signaling and Muscle Mass and Function in Unloaded but Nonatrophied Extensor Digitorum Longus Muscles of Aged Rats

Figure 4

Bax. Bax protein abundance was determined by western blot analysis in the EDL muscles of rats under control, hindlimb suspension, or reloading conditions. The groups include controls for the hindlimb suspension group (HS Con), controls for the recovery group (R Con), and in experimental animals after 14 days of hindlimb suspension (HS) or after 14 days of hindlimb suspension followed by 14 days of reloading (R). The animals received Ca-HMB or the vehicle (water) daily by gavage, for a total of 21 days (HS Con and HS) or for 32 days (R Con and R). Eight animals were in each experimental group. GAPDH was used as a loading control. The data were normalized to GAPDH, and they are shown as . A MANOVA followed by Bonferroni’s post hoc analyses were used to evaluate the differences between the group means, ^†, HS or R vs. control animals for that experimental condition.