The effect of inflammatory mediators on skeletal muscle function

Skeletal muscle weakness and atrophy are major causes of loss of contractile function after muscle injury and disease. The inflammation that follows muscle injury contributes to muscle weakness but also plays a fundamental role in facilitating the repair and regeneration of damaged muscle fibres and the return of normal muscle function. The role of inflammation and its mediators in muscle injury and regeneration is complex, and can result in both beneficial and detrimental outcomes. This thesis investigated the effect of pro-inflammatory mediators and anti-inflammatory substances on skeletal muscle contractile function, using whole muscle, single intact and skinned fibre muscle preparations.