Effect of chloroquine-induced myopathy on rat soleus muscle sarcoplasm and expression of clathrin.

Clathrin-coated vesicles are involved in receptor-mediated intracellular transport pathways related to lysosomal proteolysis. Clathrin levels were significantly elevated in denervated soleus muscles from chloroquine- and saline-treated rats as compared with their contralateral, innervated muscles. No difference was found in the clathrin levels of the denervated muscles in both groups. The accumulation of autophagic vacuoles was marked only in chloroquine-treated muscles after denervation. These findings suggest that chloroquine does not inhibit intracellular trafficking of clathrin-coated vesicles during the overdevelopment of autophagic vacuoles.