Development and evaluation of an in vitro model of exercise for studying AMPK signaling dynamics in skeletal muscle

Exercise promotes AMP-activated protein kinase (AMPK) signaling in skeletal muscle, where it functions to enhance the expression of fitness-promoting genes. The magnitude of the adaptations depends in part on the dynamics of AMPK signaling; however, the time course of AMPK signaling remains poorly characterized. The purpose of my thesis was to develop and evaluate electrical stimulation of cultured C2C12 myotubes as a method to study AMPK signaling dynamics. I confirmed that differentiation resulted in contractile C2C12 myotubes, that AMPK signaling was detectable, and that electrical stimulation increased cellular oxygen consumption. In response to three hours of electrical stimulation, AMPK signaling increased. Upon cessation of stimulation, AMPK signaling decreased. However, the magnitude of signaling was marginal, such that further work is required to define experimental conditions that lead to robust AMPK signaling. I conclude that electrical stimulation of C2C12 myotubes is a promising means to study AMPK signaling dynamics.