Effect of tumor necrosis factor α on electrically induced calcium transients elicited in C2C12 skeletal myotubes

Diseases involving chronic inflammation can lead to prolonged exposure of skeletal muscle to inflammatory cytokines such as tumor necrosis factor α (TNFα), which may contribute to the skeletal muscle weakness seen in these conditions. In this study we examined the effect of a prolonged exposure to TNFα on intracellular Ca2+ transients elicited in skeletal C2C12 myotubes. A 48‐h exposure to TNFα (10 ng/mL) significantly reduced the peaks, time to peak, and rate of Ca2+ decay of electrically induced Ca2+ transients elicited in C2C12 skeletal myotubes. TNFα exposure had no significant effect on the resting Ca2+ levels. The results of this study indicate that prolonged exposure to TNFα decreases sarcoplasmic reticulum Ca2+ release in cultured skeletal muscle cells. This altered Ca2+ release could contribute to the muscle weakness found in conditions involving chronic inflammation. Muscle Nerve, 2006