Salidroside rescues barium chloride-induced skeletal muscle injury

Abstract Skeletal muscle, as an important part of the human body, participates in a variety of body functions. The imbalance of homeostasis in skeletal muscle may be closely related to skeletal muscle growth or atrophy of skeletal muscle and the decrease of muscle function. Salidroside (Sal) is a bioactive component extracted from Rhodiola rosea . It has various pharmacological properties, including antioxidant, anti-aging and anti-fatigue properties. However, there are few studies about the effect of Sal on skeletal muscle injury induced by Barium chloride (BaCl2), which damages muscle fibers by depolarizing sarcolemmal and cause Ca2+ overload and membrane rupture. Sal significantly inhibited and reversed the decrease in cross-sectional area and diameter of muscle fibers induced by BaCl2 with HE staining, and increased the expression of myogenic differentiation 1 (MyOD1). Additionally, Sal administration enhances the regeneration potential of satellite cells and accelerates the regenerative process. In other words, Sal shows some degree of protective effects on chemical skeletal muscle injuries.