Assessing the Effects of Thermal Stimulation on Skeletal Muscle-Derived Cell Density

Abstract

We previously examined whether thermal stimulation can prevent atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease (ASCVD). Studies using human skeletal muscle-derived cells (SMDC) confirmed fluctuations in the expression of related genes. We also confirmed a slight decrease in the number of cells. It is well known that the application of thermal stimulation to cultured cells is associated with apoptosis. Although there have been several studies confirming the above, such as inducing apoptosis by thermal stimulation and suppressing apoptosis, the detailed effects of thermal stimulation on apoptosis have not been clarified. Therefore, we reexamined the effects of thermal stimulation on human skeletal muscle cells in order to safely utilize thermal stimulation for the prevention of ASCVD in vivo. From the experimental results thus far, we hypothesized that thermal stimulation to SMDC induces apoptosis. This suggested that thermal stimulation should be mild to prevent ASCVD in vivo.