Temporal dynamics of the interstitial fluid proteome in human skeletal muscle following exhaustive exercise

The skeletal muscle interstitial space is the extracellular region around myofibers and mediates cross-talk between resident cell types. We applied a proteomic workflow to characterize the human skeletal muscle interstitial fluid proteome at rest and in response to exercise. Following exhaustive exercise, markers of skeletal muscle damage accumulate in the interstitial space followed by the appearance of immune cell–derived proteins. Among the proteins up-regulated after exercise, we identified cathelicidin-related antimicrobial peptide (CAMP) as a bioactive molecule regulating muscle fiber development. Treatment with the bioactive peptide derivative of CAMP (LL-37) resulted in the growth of larger C2C12 skeletal muscle myotubes. Phosphoproteomics revealed that LL-37 activated pathways central to muscle growth and proliferation, including phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase, AKT serine/threonine kinase 1, mitogen-activated protein kinases, and mammalian target of rapamycin. Our findings provide a proof of concept that the interstitial fluid proteome is quantifiable via microdialysis sampling in vivo. These data highlight the importance of cellular communication in the adaptive response to exercise.