A major function of PGC-1 is to act as a coactivator of a series of transcription factors regulating the expression of genes involved in the process of mitochondrial biogenesis.

By such setting, PGC-1 determines a general increase of the enzymatic capacity for the β-oxidation, the Krebs cycle and oxidative phosphorylation.

It has been demonstrated that exercise is able to induce the expression of PGC-1α  in skeletal muscle  in both rodents and  humans.

In recent years, several studies have shown a reduction of the levels of expression of PGC-1α in rodents following denervation for a period of time more or less extended. It was also demonstrated the ability of PGC-1α to protect the muscle by degenerative atrophic processes. However, no study has investigated the levels of PGC-1α in human muscles submitted to chronic denervation.

In order to clarify the role of PGC-1α in human muscle and to identify a possible functional marker  of  muscolar denervation/re-innervation, our study aims to evaluate the expression of PGC1α in denervated human muscles, analyzing possible found differences  than normally innervated muscles, as a control.