# Optimal Dosing Regimen to Recover from Muscle Atrophy

> **NIH VA I21** · EDWARD HINES JR VA HOSPITAL · 2020 · —

## Abstract

Skeletal muscle atrophy in the Veteran population is extremely common and may arise due to poor
nutrition, denervation, head injury, limb trauma, cancer, ageing, and disuse. Atrophy results from
mechanical unloading of muscle over a prolonged period, resulting in reduced muscle mass, area, and
strength (without a reduction of myofibers) and can be disabling. For almost a century it has been
known that transient exposure to glucocorticoids (GC) enhances physical performance and increases
endurance. Paradoxically, despite these performance enhancing benefits, GC are not routinely
prescribed for non-inflammatory diseases since standard daily GC dosing regimens cause marked
muscle atrophy. In this SPiRE grant, we will test the hypothesis that once-weekly steroid administration
in a muscle atrophy model improves muscle function and growth. Muscle atrophy will be induced in
mice by cast immobilization, as prolonged casting is a common event that induces atrophy in Veterans
and does not disrupt neurovascular structures. The experimental design is a two-way ANOVA model
with seven groups of mice, randomized with equal numbers of male and female mice (n=6 mice total
per group). Mice will be dosed with 0.1mg/kg or 1mg/kg of prednisone steroid during casting, post
casting (recovery) or both during casting and during recovery. PBS “dosing” will be used as a control.
Muscle force generation, gene expression, size, endurance capacity and muscle mass measured after
each of these treatments. The data generated from this SPiRE grant will enable design of a human
study that refines these treatments in the Veteran population.

## Key facts

- **NIH application ID:** 9971366
- **Project number:** 5I21RX003030-02
- **Recipient organization:** EDWARD HINES JR VA HOSPITAL
- **Principal Investigator:** Richard L. Lieber
- **Activity code:** I21 (R01, R21, SBIR, etc.)
- **Funding institute:** VA
- **Fiscal year:** 2020
- **Award amount:** —
- **Award type:** 5
- **Project period:** 2019-07-01 → 2022-06-30

## Primary source

NIH RePORTER: https://reporter.nih.gov/project-details/9971366

## Citation

> US National Institutes of Health, RePORTER application 9971366, Optimal Dosing Regimen to Recover from Muscle Atrophy (5I21RX003030-02). Retrieved via AI Analytics 2026-05-23 from https://api.ai-analytics.org/grant/nih/9971366. Licensed CC0.

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