Skeletal muscle hypertrophy: cell growth is cell growth

Abstract

Roberts et al. have provided an insightful counterpoint to our review article on the utility of the synergist ablation model. The purpose of this review is to provide some further dialogue regarding the strengths and weaknesses of the synergist ablation model. Specifically, we highlight that the robustness of the model overshadows surgical limitations. We also compare the transcriptomic responses to synergist ablation in mice and resistance exercise in humans to identify common pathways. We conclude that "cell growth is cell growth" and that the mechanisms available to cells to accumulate biomass and increase in size are similar across cell types and independent of the rate of growth.

Keywords: hypertrophy; muscle; resistance training; synergist ablation.

Figure 1.

Comparison of DEGs between SA-induced MOV in mice and human resistance exercise. Venn diagrams comparing significantly upregulated genes (A) and significantly downregulated genes (B) in response to 72 h of MOV in mice and during a 24-h time course of resistance exercise in humans. The diagrams were generated using https://bioinformatics.psb.ugent.be/webtools/Venn/. Results of pathway analyses (KEGG 2021 Human) of consensus genes demonstrated in bar graphs, top 10 pathways and −log10(adjusted P value) shown. DEG, differentially expressed gene; MOV, mechanical overload; SA, synergist ablation; RT, resistance training.