Deletion of estrogen receptor α in skeletal muscle results in impaired contractility in female mice

Estradiol deficiency in females can result in skeletal muscle strength loss, and treatment with estradiol mitigates the loss. There are three primary estrogen receptors and estradiol elicits effects through these receptors in various tissues. Ubiquitous estrogen receptor α (ERα) knockout mice exhibit numerous biological disorders, but little is known regarding the specific role of ERα in skeletal muscle contractile function. The purpose of this study was to determine the impact of skeletal muscle specific ERα deletion on contractile function, hypothesizing that ERα is a main receptor through which estradiol affects muscle strength in females. Deletion of ERα specifically in skeletal muscle (skmERαKO) did not affect body mass compared to wild-type littermates (skmERαWT) until 26 wk of age at which time body mass of skmERαKO began to increase disproportionally. Overall, skmERαKO mice had low strength demonstrated in multiple muscles and by several contractile parameters. Isolated extensor digitorum longus m...