Human skeletal muscle creatine transporter mRNA and protein expression in healthy, young males and females

Abstract

The present study investigated whether there were any differences between males and females in respect to creatine transporter (CreaT) gene expression and/or total creatine (TCr) content in human vastus lateralis muscle. Skeletal muscle obtained from young healthy male (n = 13, age: 23.2 +/- 5.0 years) and female subjects (n = 12, age: 21.7 +/- 4.3 years) was analyzed for CreaT mRNA, CreaT protein and TCr content. Total CreaT protein content in the muscle was similar (p > 0.05) between the sexes. Two bands (approximately 55 and 73 kDa) of the CreaT protein were detected in all muscle samples. Both the 55 and the 73 kDa bands were present in similar (p > 0.05) amounts in males compared with females. The 73 kDa band was in greater abundance (p < 0.05) than the 55 kDa band, irrespective of gender. In addition, CreaT mRNA expression relative to beta-actin mRNA and the TCr content (males: 117.8 +/- 2.2, females: 125.3 +/- 4.3 mmol.kg(-1) dry mass) were also unaffected (p > 0.05) by gender. These data demonstrate that gender does not influence skeletal muscle TCr content and CreaT gene expression in young human subjects.