Evidence map›Paper›PMID 33030055›Full record

ArticleConnective tissue research2021

Force dependent effects of chronic overuse on fibrosis-related genes and proteins in skeletal muscles.

Brendan A Hilliard, Mamta Amin, Steven N Popoff, Mary F Barbe

Open access · greenAbstract read
In one paragraph

Article in Connective tissue research, 2021. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 9 papers.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
9citing papers in PubMed
1.1field-weighted citation impact, top 26% of its field
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

9 citing papers in PubMed, 13 citations in OpenAlex.

  1. Article
  2. Overuse-Induced Muscle Disorder: Establishing a Rat Model to Unravel the Role of Fibro-Adipogenic Progenitor Cells in Intramuscular Fibrosis.Journal of orthopaedic research : official publication of the Orthopaedic Research Society · 2025
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4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

4 authors at 1 institution in 1 country.

Brendan A HilliardLewis Katz School of Medicine, Temple University , Philadelphia, PA, USA.
Mamta AminLewis Katz School of Medicine, Temple University , Philadelphia, PA, USA.
Steven N PopoffLewis Katz School of Medicine, Temple University , Philadelphia, PA, USA.
Mary F BarbeLewis Katz School of Medicine, Temple University , Philadelphia, PA, USA.
Temple University · US

Funding

Biomarkers of Tissue Tolerance and Behavior in a Rat ModelR01AR056019 · NIAMS · THOMAS JEFFERSON UNIVERSITY · PI BARBE, MARY F · 2009 to 2025
$7.3M
NIAMS NIH HHS R01 AR056019
6 · The paper itself

Abstract

aimTo examine the chronic effect of force on mRNA and protein expression levels of fibrosis-related genes in flexor digitorum muscles in a rat model of repetitive overuse injury that induces muscle fibrosis at high force levels. MATERIALS AND

methodsTwo groups of rats were trained to perform a voluntary repetitive lever-pulling task at either a high (HFHR) or a low force (LFHR) for 18 weeks, while a control group (FRC) performed no task. RNA and protein were prepared from forelimb flexor digitorum muscles. Fibrosis-related gene RNA transcripts were evaluated using quantitative PCR (qPCR) and analyzed using the geometric mean of three housekeeping genes or the mean of each individually as reference. Protein levels were quantified using ELISA, western blot, or immunohistofluorescence.

resultsOf eight fibrosis-related mRNAs examined, only FGF2 demonstrated a consistent significant increase in the HFHR group, compared to the FRC group. However, protein amounts of collagen type 1, collagen type 3, and TGFβ1 were significantly higher in the HFHR, compared to the FRC and LFHR groups, while CCN2 and FGF2 were higher in both HFHR and LFHR, compared to the FRC group.

conclusionsOur results suggest that there is steady-state transcription of fibrogenic genes in muscles with established fibrosis, implying that post-transcriptional processes are responsible for the increased protein levels of fibrotic factors during muscle overuse conditions. We hypothesize that targeting such pathways represents a valid approach to treat overuse injury. Alternatively, FGF2 gene expression may represent a valid target for therapy.

Indexed as

Muscle, SkeletalAnimalsCollagen Type ICumulative Trauma DisordersFibroblast Growth Factor 2FibrosisRatsRats, Sprague-DawleyRNACollagen Type IFibroblast Growth Factor 2RNAextracellular matrix (ECM)fibrosisFlexor digitorum musclerepetitive overuse

Identifiers

PMID33030055
PMCPMC7718395
OpenAlexW3092370128

What OpenQuestion holds

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Registered trials

None linked

Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.