Tissue specific responses to clenbuterol; temporal changes in protein metabolism of striated muscle and visceral tissues from rats.

The beta-adrenoceptor agonist, clenbuterol, was administered orally to male weanling rats for a period of up to 10 days. The composition and fractional rate of protein synthesis (Ks) in skeletal and cardiac muscle, gut and liver were determined. There were few changes in the visceral tissues, but there was marked protein accretion in the muscles. The results suggested that in skeletal muscles there is an increase in both Ks and the amount of protein synthesised per unit RNA. In cardiac muscle, the results indicated that there was only a very transient increase in Ks and that changes in translational capacity (RNA/prot) may account in part for the increase in protein content. It is concluded that the mechanistic basis for the increased protein gain may be different between skeletal and cardiac muscles.