Resveratrol alleviated muscle fiber type transformation in oxidative stressed bovine myotubes through Akt/FoxO signaling pathway

Objectives: This study aimed to investigate the impact of oxidative stress on muscle fiber type distribution in bovine myotubes and to evaluate the protective role of resveratrol (RES) through the Akt/FoxO signaling pathway. Methods: Bovine myotubes were treated with hydrogen peroxide (H2O2) to induce oxidative stress, with or without RES co-treatment. Analyses included metabolic and antioxidant enzyme activities, real-time quantitative PCR, and western blotting to assess fiber-type markers, mitochondrial biogenesis genes, and Akt/FoxO pathway components. Results: Oxidative stress decreased slow myosin heavy chain (MyHC) expression and increased fast MyHC expression, reduced activities of oxidative enzymes (SDH, MDH) and antioxidant enzymes (SOD, GSH-Px, CAT), and elevated lactate dehydrogenase activity and malondialdehyde content. It also inhibited the Akt/FoxO pathway and downregulated mitochondrial biogenesis genes (NRF-1, TFAM, ATP6). RES treatment significantly attenuated these changes. Activation of Akt with SC79 similarly counteracted oxidative stress-induced fiber-type transformation. Conclusion: Oxidative stress promotes a slow-to-fast muscle fiber shift in bovine myotubes by suppressing the Akt/FoxO pathway and mitochondrial biogenesis. RES alleviates this transformation by reactivating Akt/FoxO signaling and enhancing cellular antioxidant capacity.