Skeletal muscle cell activation by low-energy laser irradiation: A role for the MAPK/ERK pathway

Low-energy laser irradiation (LELI) has been shown to promote skeletal muscle regeneration in vivo and to activate skeletal muscle satellite cells, enhance their proliferation and inhibit differentiation in vitro. In the present study, LELI, as well as the addition of serum to serum-starved myoblasts, restored their proliferation, whereas myogenic differentiation remained low. LELI induced mitogen-activated protein kinase/extracellular signal-regulated protein kinase (MAPK/ERK) phosphorylation with no effect on its expression in serum-starved myoblasts. Moreover, a specific MAPK kinase inhibitor (PD098059) inhibited the LELI- and 10% serum-mediated ERK1/2 activation. However, LELI did not affect Jun N-terminal kinase (JNK) or p38 MAPK phosphorylation or protein expression. Whereas a 3-sec irradiation induced ERK1/2 phosphorylation, a 12-sec irradiation reduced it, again with no effect on JNK or p38. Moreover, LELI had distinct effects on receptor phosphorylation: it caused phosphorylation of the hepatocyte growth factor (HGF.) receptor, previously shown to activate the MAPK/ERK pathway, whereas no effect was observed on tumor suppressor necrosis α (TNF-α) receptor which activates the p38 and JNK pathways. Therefore, by specifically activating MAPK/ERK, but not JNK and p38 MAPK enzymes, probably by specific receptor phosphorylation, LELI induces the activation and proliferation of quiescent satellite cells and delays their differentiation.