Modulation of L-Type Calcium Currents by Resveratrol-Induced Myogenesis in C2C12 Cells

Skeletal muscle differentiation is tightly regulated by membrane potential dynamics and voltage-dependent ion channel activity. Potassium (K+) and calcium (Ca2+) currents cooperate to orchestrate the transition of myoblasts into fusion-competent myotubes, and alterations in this process are associated with dystrophic phenotypes. Here, we investigated the electrophysiological remodeling accompanying C2C12 myogenesis and the modulatory effects of the polyphenol resveratrol (RES) on calcium voltage-gated channel subunit alpha 1 S (CACNA1S, Cav1.1, L-type) currents. Whole-cell patch-clamp recordings were performed in proliferating and differentiating C2C12 cells to characterize the temporal expression of K+ currents and voltage-dependent Ca2+ channels (VDCCs). During differentiation, three electrophysiological subpopulations were identified according to K+ current profiles: SK4+/EAG-/Kir-, SK4-/EAG+/Kir-, and SK4-/EAG+/Kir+. This sequence paralleled a progressive membrane hyperpolarization from -20 mV to -70 mV, consistent with the physiological maturation of myogenic cells. In C2C12 myocytes, nimodipine-sensitive L-type currents were the only Ca2+ conductance observed. Their activation threshold (~-30 mV) and half-activation voltage (V/2 ≈ -12 mV) indicated the co-expression of embryonic and adult Cav1.1 isoforms. Exposure to RES (30 µM, 48 h) produced a depolarizing shift in activation (ΔV/2 ≈ +9 mV) and a reduction in current amplitude across all voltages, consistent with a transition toward the adult splice variant of Cav1.1. These findings suggest that RES promotes electrophysiological maturation of skeletal muscle cells by modulating calcium channel expression and gating behavior. Given its known ability to correct splicing abnormalities in CACNA1S and related genes, resveratrol emerges as a promising pharmacological agent for restoring calcium homeostasis in neuromuscular disorders such as myotonic dystrophy type 1 (DM1).