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Title: Steroids induce acetylcholine receptors on cultured human muscle: Implications for myasthenia gravis

Abstract

Antibodies to the acetylcholine receptor (AChR), which are diagnostic of the human autoimmune disease myasthenia gravis, block AChR function and increase the rate of AChR degradation leading to impaired neuromuscular transmission. Steroids are frequently used to alleviate symptoms of muscle fatigue and weakness in patients with myasthenia gravis because of their well-documented immunosuppressive effects. The authors show here that the steroid dexamethasone significantly increases total surface AChRs on cultured human muscle exposed to myasthenia gravis sera. The results suggest that the clinical improvement observed in myasthenic patients treated with steroids is due not only to an effect on the immune system but also a direct effect on muscle. They propose that the identification and development of pharmacologic agents that augment receptors and other proteins that are reduced by human genetic or autoimmune disease will have broad therapeutic applications.

Authors:
; ; ; ;  [1]
  1. Stanford Univ. School of Medicine, CA (USA)
Publication Date:
OSTI Identifier:
5545351
Resource Type:
Journal Article
Journal Name:
Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America; (United States)
Additional Journal Information:
Journal Volume: 87:20; Journal ID: ISSN 0027-8424
Country of Publication:
United States
Language:
English
Subject:
59 BASIC BIOLOGICAL SCIENCES; ACETYLCHOLINE; RECEPTORS; STEROIDS; BIOLOGICAL EFFECTS; TOXINS; RADIORECEPTOR ASSAY; IMMUNE SYSTEM DISEASES; IODINE 125; MUSCLES; NERVOUS SYSTEM DISEASES; AMINES; AMMONIUM COMPOUNDS; ANTIGENS; AUTONOMIC NERVOUS SYSTEM AGENTS; BETA DECAY RADIOISOTOPES; DAYS LIVING RADIOISOTOPES; DISEASES; DRUGS; ELECTRON CAPTURE RADIOISOTOPES; ESTERS; INTERMEDIATE MASS NUCLEI; INTERNAL CONVERSION RADIOISOTOPES; IODINE ISOTOPES; ISOTOPE APPLICATIONS; ISOTOPES; MATERIALS; MEMBRANE PROTEINS; NEUROREGULATORS; NUCLEI; ODD-EVEN NUCLEI; ORGANIC COMPOUNDS; PARASYMPATHOMIMETICS; PROTEINS; QUATERNARY COMPOUNDS; RADIOISOTOPES; TOXIC MATERIALS; TRACER TECHNIQUES; 550201* - Biochemistry- Tracer Techniques

Citation Formats

Kaplan, I, Blakely, B T, Pavlath, G K, Travis, M, and Blau, H M. Steroids induce acetylcholine receptors on cultured human muscle: Implications for myasthenia gravis. United States: N. p., 1990. Web. doi:10.1073/pnas.87.20.8100.
Kaplan, I, Blakely, B T, Pavlath, G K, Travis, M, & Blau, H M. Steroids induce acetylcholine receptors on cultured human muscle: Implications for myasthenia gravis. United States. https://doi.org/10.1073/pnas.87.20.8100
Kaplan, I, Blakely, B T, Pavlath, G K, Travis, M, and Blau, H M. 1990. "Steroids induce acetylcholine receptors on cultured human muscle: Implications for myasthenia gravis". United States. https://doi.org/10.1073/pnas.87.20.8100.
@article{osti_5545351,
title = {Steroids induce acetylcholine receptors on cultured human muscle: Implications for myasthenia gravis},
author = {Kaplan, I and Blakely, B T and Pavlath, G K and Travis, M and Blau, H M},
abstractNote = {Antibodies to the acetylcholine receptor (AChR), which are diagnostic of the human autoimmune disease myasthenia gravis, block AChR function and increase the rate of AChR degradation leading to impaired neuromuscular transmission. Steroids are frequently used to alleviate symptoms of muscle fatigue and weakness in patients with myasthenia gravis because of their well-documented immunosuppressive effects. The authors show here that the steroid dexamethasone significantly increases total surface AChRs on cultured human muscle exposed to myasthenia gravis sera. The results suggest that the clinical improvement observed in myasthenic patients treated with steroids is due not only to an effect on the immune system but also a direct effect on muscle. They propose that the identification and development of pharmacologic agents that augment receptors and other proteins that are reduced by human genetic or autoimmune disease will have broad therapeutic applications.},
doi = {10.1073/pnas.87.20.8100},
url = {https://www.osti.gov/biblio/5545351}, journal = {Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America; (United States)},
issn = {0027-8424},
number = ,
volume = 87:20,
place = {United States},
year = {Mon Oct 01 00:00:00 EDT 1990},
month = {Mon Oct 01 00:00:00 EDT 1990}
}