REVIEW   

Minerva Ortopedica e Traumatologica 2020 June;71(2):68-71

DOI: 10.23736/S0394-3410.19.03961-4

Copyright © 2019 EDIZIONI MINERVA MEDICA

language: English

Glucocorticoid myopathy: pathogenesis and essential nature

Teet SEENE ✉, Priit KAASIK

Institute of Sport Sciences and Physiotherapy, University of Tartu, Tartu, Estonia

Reasons of glucocorticoids-induced myopathy are high level of blood corticosteroids, structural changes in fast twitch (FT) skeletal muscle fibers, decreased protein synthesis and increased protein degradation rate, slow turnover rate of contractile proteins and slow regeneration capacity of muscle tissue due to the decrease in the number of satellite cells under the basal lamina of muscle fibers. In addition disarray of myofibrils, which begins from peripheral myosin filaments of FT glycolytic muscle fibers, and changes in neuromuscular junctions, are leading to development of muscle atrophy and weakness.

KEY WORDS: Myotoxicity; Muscular atrophy; Muscle weakness