Effects of dimethyl sulfoxide and dexamethasone on mRNA expression of housekeeping genes in cultures of C2C12 myotubes

• Published in: Biochemical and biophysical research communications Vol. 367; no. 3; pp. 603 - 608
• Main Authors: Nishimura, Masuhiro, Nikawa, Takeshi, Kawano, Yuichi, Nakayama, Mitsuo, Ikeda, Muneharu
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: United States Elsevier Inc 14.03.2008
• Subjects: Actins - genetics; Animals; C2C12 myotubes; Cell Differentiation - drug effects; Cell Line; Dexamethasone; Dexamethasone - pharmacology; Dimethyl sulfoxide; Dimethyl Sulfoxide - pharmacology; Gene Expression - drug effects; Glucocorticoids - pharmacology; Glucuronidase - genetics; Glyceraldehyde-3-Phosphate Dehydrogenases - genetics; Housekeeping gene; Mice; Muscle Fibers, Skeletal - cytology; Muscle Fibers, Skeletal - drug effects; Muscle Fibers, Skeletal - metabolism; Myoblasts - cytology; Myoblasts - drug effects; Receptors, Transferrin - genetics; Reverse Transcriptase Polymerase Chain Reaction; RNA, Messenger - metabolism; Dexamethasone; Housekeeping gene; C2C12 myotubes; Dimethyl sulfoxide
• ISSN: 0006-291X; 1090-2104
• DOI: 10.1016/j.bbrc.2008.01.006

We used quantitative real-time RT-PCR to investigate the effects of dimethyl sulfoxide (DMSO) and dexamethasone (Dex) on the mRNA expression levels of the housekeeping genes β-actin (ACTB), glyceraldehyde-3-phosphate dehydrogenase (GAPDH), β-glucuronidase (GUSB), hypoxanthine phosphoribosyltransferase 1 (HPRT1), phosphoglycerate kinase 1 (PGK1), peptidylprolyl isomerase A (PPIA), and transferrin receptor (TFRC) in cultures of C2C12 myotubes. The ratios of ACTB mRNA levels to the HPRT1 mRNA level in C2C12 cells that were differentiating from myoblast cells to myotubes decreased from 0 to 120h of culture, whereas the ratios of TFRC mRNA levels to the HPRT1 mRNA level increased from 0 to 120h of culture. The ratios of GAPDH, GUSB, PGK1, and PPIA mRNA levels to the HPRT1 mRNA level remained constant from 0 to 120h of culture. All housekeeping gene mRNA levels were unaffected by exposure to DMSO concentrations of 0.1% or less. The GAPDH mRNA level was increased by Dex, while the ACTB and PGK1 mRNA levels were significantly decreased by Dex. The GUSB, PPIA, and TFRC mRNA levels were unaffected by exposure to Dex. GUSB, HPRT1, and PPIA are thus suitable internal controls for evaluating mRNA expression levels in cultures of C2C12 cells.