Fig. 2: CTRP9 KO exacerbates muscle fiber atrophy and inflammation in aging mice.
From: CTRP9 as a myokine mitigates sarcopenia via the LAMP-2A/NLRP3 pathway
A Representative images of gastrocnemius (GAS), tibialis anterior (TA), and extensor digitorum longus (EDL) muscles from different groups. B Lean body mass percentage determined by dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry (DEXA) (n = 4). C Ratio of gastrocnemius weight to tibia length (g/m) in WT and CTRP9KO mice across different age groups (n = 5). Data are presented as mean ± SEM. D Hematoxylin-eosin (HE) staining of muscle fibers and analysis of cross-sectional area (CSA, μm²) (n = 5). Scale bar = 50 μm. E Immunostaining of fast-twitch muscle fibers and corresponding CSA (μm²) (n = 5). Scale bar = 50 μm. F Immunostaining of slow-twitch muscle fibers and corresponding CSA (μm²) (n = 5). Scale bar = 50 μm. G Western blot analysis of NLRP3, Fbxo32, IL-1β, IL-18 and Caspase-1 P20 expression in gastrocnemius muscle from 3-month-old and 23-month-old WT and CTRP9 KO mice; GAPDH serves as the loading control (n = 5). H Quantification of IL-1β secretion in gastrocnemius muscle using ELISA (n = 5). Data are presented as mean ± SEM.
