PPARGC1A and myopathy: Therefore, to gain a more complete understanding of the early molecular events associated with statin-induced myopathy, the purpose of this study was to determine whether statin-induced increases in muscle atrophy gene expression are associated with changes in: 1) PGC1α protein expression; 2) mitochondrial enzyme activity and mitochondrial protein expression; 3) AMPK protein expression and activation (phosphorylation); and 4) eNOS and nNOS protein expression and total NOS activity.