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Study · Animal study (in vivo) · mouse · 2021

5 results

A 50 kdyne contusion spinal cord injury with or without the drug SS-31 was not associated with major changes in muscle mass or gene expression 14 d after injury in young male mice.

Graham ZA, DeBerry JJ, Cardozo CP, Bamman MM

Physiological reports1 Feb 2021Cited by 6 (Europe PMC)

PMID33611851 (opens in a new tab)PMCIDPMC7897452 (opens in a new tab)DOI10.14814/phy2.14751 (opens in a new tab)PepBankPUB-33611851
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Summary

Spinal cord injury (SCI) leads to rapid muscle atrophy due to paralysis/paresis and subsequent disuse. SS-31 is a mitochondrial-targeting peptide that has shown efficacy in protecting skeletal muscle mass and function in non-SCI models of muscle wasting. We aimed to determine if SS-31 could prevent muscle loss after SCI. Male C57BL/6 mice aged 9 weeks underwent sham surgery or 50 kdyne contusion SCI and were administered daily injections of vehicle or 5 mg/kg SS-31 for 14 d. Both SCI groups had sustained losses in body mass compared to Sham animals and ~10% reductions in gastrocnemius, plantaris and tibialis anterior muscle mass after SCI with no clear effect of SS-31. Measurements of protein synthesis in the soleus and plantaris were similar among all groups. mRNA expression of atrophy-associated proinflammatory cytokines was also similar among all groups. There was elevation in MYH7 mRNA and a statistical reduction in MYH2 mRNA expression in the SCI+SS-31 animals compared to Sham animals. There was an SCI-induced reduction in mRNA expression of the E3 ligase FBXO32 (MAFbx), but no effect of SS-31. In summary, a 50 kdyne contusion SCI was able to reduce body mass but was not associated with substantial muscle atrophy or alterations in gene expression profiles associated with muscle health and function 14 d post-injury. SS-31 was not associated with protection against SCI-related changes in body or muscle mass, protein synthesis or gene expression in hindlimb muscles.
CC BYText from Europe PMC. Highlighted sentences are the source of results.

Results from this study5

5 results from studies that gave the peptide. No result from this study comes from people.

  1. 01AnimalAnimal study (in vivo)Efficacy outcome

    In mice with spinal cord injury, SS‑31 was not associated with protection against injury-related loss of body mass.

    In plain wordsIn mice with spinal cord injury, SS‑31 did not protect against loss of body weight.

    Peptide
    Elamipretide (SS-31)
    Outcome
    No significant changeBody mass after spinal cord injury
    Study

    mousen: not reported in source

    50 kdyne contusion spinal cord injury
    Comparator
    Vehicle
    Outcome group
    Body weight · Metabolic and weight
    Studied dose
    5 mg/kg daily · 14 dAs given in this study (mouse).

    Source sentences

    Summary
    SS-31 was not associated with protection against SCI-related changes in body or muscle mass
    1 context sentence
    Summary · context
    Male C57BL/6 mice aged 9 weeks underwent sham surgery or 50 kdyne contusion SCI and were administered daily injections of vehicle or 5 mg/kg SS-31 for 14 d.
  2. 02AnimalAnimal study (in vivo)Efficacy outcome

    In mice with spinal cord injury, SS‑31 had no clear effect on the roughly 10% reductions in gastrocnemius, plantaris and tibialis anterior muscle mass.

    In plain wordsIn mice with spinal cord injury, SS‑31 did not clearly prevent muscle loss in the hind legs.

    Peptide
    Elamipretide (SS-31)
    Outcome
    No significant changeHindlimb muscle mass
    Study

    mousen: not reported in source

    50 kdyne contusion spinal cord injury
    Comparator
    Vehicle
    Outcome group
    Muscle injury and repair · Musculoskeletal
    Studied dose
    5 mg/kg daily · 14 dAs given in this study (mouse).

    Source sentences

    Summary
    ~10% reductions in gastrocnemius, plantaris and tibialis anterior muscle mass after SCI with no clear effect of SS-31.
    1 context sentence
    Summary · context
    Male C57BL/6 mice aged 9 weeks underwent sham surgery or 50 kdyne contusion SCI and were administered daily injections of vehicle or 5 mg/kg SS-31 for 14 d.
  3. 03AnimalAnimal study (in vivo)Efficacy outcome

    In mice with spinal cord injury, protein synthesis in the soleus and plantaris was similar among all groups, with no SS‑31 effect.

    In plain wordsIn mice with spinal cord injury, SS‑31 did not change muscle protein synthesis.

    Peptide
    Elamipretide (SS-31)
    Outcome
    No significant changeMuscle protein synthesis
    Study

    mousen: not reported in source

    50 kdyne contusion spinal cord injury
    Comparator
    Vehicle
    Outcome group
    Muscle injury and repair · Musculoskeletal
    Studied dose
    5 mg/kg daily · 14 dAs given in this study (mouse).

    Source sentences

    Summary
    Measurements of protein synthesis in the soleus and plantaris were similar among all groups
    1 context sentence
    Summary · context
    Male C57BL/6 mice aged 9 weeks underwent sham surgery or 50 kdyne contusion SCI and were administered daily injections of vehicle or 5 mg/kg SS-31 for 14 d.
  4. 04AnimalAnimal study (in vivo)Efficacy outcome

    In mice with spinal cord injury, mRNA expression of atrophy-associated proinflammatory cytokines was similar among all groups, with no SS‑31 effect.

    In plain wordsIn mice with spinal cord injury, SS‑31 did not change muscle inflammation gene activity.

    Peptide
    Elamipretide (SS-31)
    Outcome
    No significant changemRNA of atrophy-associated proinflammatory cytokines
    Study

    mousen: not reported in source

    50 kdyne contusion spinal cord injury
    Comparator
    Vehicle
    Outcome group
    Inflammation markers · Musculoskeletal
    Studied dose
    5 mg/kg daily · 14 dAs given in this study (mouse).

    Source sentences

    Summary
    mRNA expression of atrophy-associated proinflammatory cytokines was also similar among all groups
    1 context sentence
    Summary · context
    Male C57BL/6 mice aged 9 weeks underwent sham surgery or 50 kdyne contusion SCI and were administered daily injections of vehicle or 5 mg/kg SS-31 for 14 d.
  5. 05AnimalAnimal study (in vivo)Efficacy outcome

    In mice with spinal cord injury, SS‑31 had no effect on the injury-related reduction in FBXO32 (MAFbx) mRNA expression.

    In plain wordsIn mice with spinal cord injury, SS‑31 did not change the injury-related drop in the muscle gene FBXO32.

    Peptide
    Elamipretide (SS-31)
    Outcome
    No significant changeFBXO32 (MAFbx) mRNA expression
    Study

    mousen: not reported in source

    50 kdyne contusion spinal cord injury
    Comparator
    Vehicle
    Outcome group
    Muscle injury and repair · Musculoskeletal
    Studied dose
    5 mg/kg daily · 14 dAs given in this study (mouse).

    Source sentences

    Summary
    There was an SCI-induced reduction in mRNA expression of the E3 ligase FBXO32 (MAFbx), but no effect of SS-31.
    1 context sentence
    Summary · context
    Male C57BL/6 mice aged 9 weeks underwent sham surgery or 50 kdyne contusion SCI and were administered daily injections of vehicle or 5 mg/kg SS-31 for 14 d.

AI wrote and checked these results. AI can make mistakes, so check important results against the source.

Version history

PepBank keeps every version of the data on this study. Status changes from Retraction Watch, Europe PMC and Crossref are listed with their source.

  1. Version 2Current

    10 Oct 2026, 08:19 UTC

    Study results updated

  2. Version 1

    9 Oct 2026, 02:47 UTC

    First added · source update from Europe PMC

Subjects

Terms as the source lists them.

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