Effects of areca nut consumption on cell differentiation of osteoblasts, myoblasts, and fibroblasts

Areca nut is used worldwide as a hallucinogenic addicting drug along the tropical belt.Arecoline,a toxic compound,is the most important alkaloid in areca nuts.The adverse effects of oral uptake and chewing of areca nut are well known.For example,the possibility of cancer caused by chewing areca nuts is widely discussed.Chewing areca nut has other adverse effects on other organs,including abnormal cell differentiation,oral cancer,and several other diseases.The use of areca nut is also associated with low birthweight.Skeletal musculature is the largest organ in the body and is attached to the bones.During embryo development,the differentiation of bone and muscle cells is critical.In this article,we reviewed the effects of areca nut and arecoline on embryonic cell differentiation,particularly osteoblasts,myoblasts,and fibroblasts.

Micro RNA transcriptome of skeletal muscle during yak development reveals that miR-652 regulates myoblasts differentiation and survival by targeting ISL1

The growth and development of skeletal muscle also determine the meat production of yak, ultimately affecting the economic benefits. Hence, improving growth performance is a top priority in the yak industry. Skeletal muscle development is a complex process involving the regulation of several genes, including microRNAs(miRNAs). However,the transcription of miRNAs in yak skeletal muscle during prenatal to postnatal stages is unknown. We used small RNA sequencing(small RNA-Seq) to determine the global miRNAs of longissimus dorsi muscle from yak(the samples were collected from three fetuses and three adults). Totally 264 differently expressed miRNAs(|log2(fold change)|>1and P-value≤0.05) were detected between the two groups. Gene Ontology(GO) and Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes(KEGG) analysis showed that differently expressed miRNAs-targeted genes participated in pathways associated with muscle development, such as MAPK, PI3K-Akt, and Hippo signaling pathways, etc. MiR-652, which was up-regulated in the fetal group, was transfected into C2C12 myoblasts to examine its role. miR-652 promoted(P≤0.05)proliferation and differentiation, but inhibited(P≤0.001) apoptosis at early period. Furthermore, miR-652 reduced(P≤0.001) the proportion of C2C12 myoblasts in the G1 phase while increasing(P≤0.01) the proportion of cells in the S and G2 phases. Dual-luciferase reporter assays indicated that ISL1 served as a target of miR-652. In general, these findings expand our understanding of yak skeletal muscle miRNAs, and suggested that miR-652 probably regulated myogenesis by regulating ISL1.

Benefit of stem cells and skeletal myoblast cells in dilated cardiomyopathies

Although some authors suggest that there is mitotic division in the heart,most cardiomyocytes do not have the capacity to regenerate after myocardial infarction and when this occurs there is a deterioration of contractile function,and if the area of infarction is extensive ventricular remodeling may occur,leading to the development of heart failure.Cell transplantation into the myocardium with the goal of recovery of cardiac function has been extensively studied in recent years. The effects of cell therapy are based directly on the cell type used and the type of cardiac pathology.For myocardial ischemia in the hibernating myocardium, bone marrow cells have functional benefits,however these results in transmural fibrosis are not evident. In these cases there is a benefit of implantation with skeletal myoblasts,for treating the underlying cause of disease,the loss of cell contractility.

Skeletal myoblast based delivery of angiogenic growth factors:a comparison between angiopoietin-1 and VEGF gene delivery for therapeutic angiogenesis in the heart

Objectives This study investigated the efficacy of human skeletal myoblasts (SkM) mediated either human vascular endothelial growth factor-165 (hVEGF165) or angiopoietin-1 (Ang-1) on vascular development and myocardial regional perfusion. Methods A porcine heart model of chronic infarction was created in 28 female swine by coronary artery ligation. The animals were randomized into: (1) group-1, DMEM injected (n=6), (2) group-2, Ad-null transduced SkM transplanted (n=6), (3) group-3, Ad-hVEGF165 transduced SkM transplanted (n=8), and (4) group-4, Ad-Ang-1 transduced SkM (n=8). Three weeks later, 5 ml DMEM containing 3×108 SkM carrying exogenous genes were intramyocardially injected into 20 sites in left ventricle in groups-2, -3 and -4. Animals in group-1 were injected 5 ml DMEM without cells. Animals were kept on 5 mg/kg cyclosporine per day for 6 weeks. Regional blood flow was measured using fluorescent microspheres. The heart was explanted at 2, 6 and 12 weeks after transplantation for histological studies. Results Histological examination showed survival of lac-z expressing myoblasts in host tissue. Capillary density based on Von Willebrand factor-VIII (vWF-VIII) at low power field (×100) was 57.13±11.85 in group-3 at 6 weeks and declined to 32.1±5.21 at 12 weeks, while it was 39.9±10.26 at 6 weeks and increased to 45.14±6.54 at 12 weeks in group-4. The mature blood vessel index was highest in group- 4 at 6 and 12 weeks after transplantation. The regional blood flow in the center and peri-infarct area was significantly increased in animals of groups-3 and -4. Conclusions SkM carrying either hVEGF165 or Ang-1 induced neovascularization with increased blood flow. Ang-1 overexpression resulted in mature and stable blood vessel formation and may be a more potent arteriogenic inducer for neovascularization.

Modified methods for culturing myoblasts of rats: Combination of multi-enzymatic digestion and double purification

BACKGROUND： With developments of tissue engineering and genetic engineering, we aim to culture myoblasts, which are characterized by high purity, high quality and high production, for wide application in neural regeneration researches. OBJECTIVE： To modify traditional dissociation method in order to obtain myoblasts, which are characterized by high purity, high quality and high production, and explore the biological properties under in vitro culture. DESIGN： Observational study. SETTING： Basic Institute of Academy of Military Medical Sciences of Chinese PLA. MATERIALS： Four neonatal Wistar rats of 5 days old, both genders and mean body mass of 10 g were selected in this study. The main reagents and devices were detailed as follows： DMEM medium （Gibco Company）, fetus bovine serum （FBS, Hycolne Company）, collagenase Ⅱ （Sigma Company）, trypsin （Sigma Company）, dispase Ⅱ （Sigma Company）, desmin antibody （Fuzhou Maixin Company）, antibody Ⅱ and ABC kit （Wuhan Baster Biotechnology Company）, desk centrifuge （KUBATO, Japan）, and inverted phase contrast microscope （LEICA DMIRB, Germany）. METHODS： The experiment was carried out in the Basic Institute of Academy of Military Medical Sciences of Chinese PLA from June to October 2006. Neonatal rats were sacrificed under sterile condition to obtain skeletal muscles of limbs, which were washed with cold PBS （containing benzylpenicillin and estreptomicina）, and muscular tissue was sheared into pieces. Then, those muscular pieces were added with mixed digestive enzyme （containing 2 g/L collagenase Ⅱ ＋ 5 g/L dispase Ⅱ ＋ 0.28 g/L CaCl2） as twice volume as pieces, dealt with mechanical pipetting for 5 minutes and cultured in CO2 incubator for 10 minutes. The operation was done for three times and the muscular pieces were digested for 45 minutes in total. Moreover, cells were suspended again in order to obtain myoblasts from skeletal muscle of neonatal rats. In addition, myoblasts were purified with differential attachment technique and enzyme digestion so as to observe morphological characteristics and growth, draw growth curve, analyze surface structure under scanning electron microscope, and evaluate with Desmin immunohistochemical staining. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES： Morphological characteristics and growth ofmyoblasts cultured in vitro. RESULTS： ①Growth of myoblasts of skeletal muscle： Primary cells had well growth, mature and differentiation. The positive rate of Desmin was 94% and purification of cells was ideal. Growth curve of cells demonstrated that myoblasts which were characterized by high purification started proliferation plentiful through transient growth lag phase （about at one or two days after inoculation）. If myoblasts were not dealt with any interventions, they might become sarcotubule gradually at 3 - 5 days after proliferative phase. During this period, myoblasts maintained a monocaryon-bipolarity state under inverted phase contrast microscope. Furthermore, the growth of cells was the strongest and reproductive activity was the most powerful. This suggested that myotube started to form; in addition, muscle fiber of contractility might form under a well culturing condition. ②Immunocytochemical stain with desmin antibody： Interzonal fiber of desmin from myoblasts showed strongly positive reaction. Positive staining existed in cytoplasm had a high nucleus-cytoplasm ratio. However, myoblasts showed negative or mildly positive reaction. CONCLUSION： It is ideal for modified multi-enzymatic digestion and double purification method to dissociate and purify myoblasts of skeletal muscle; meanwhile, these two methods are both the effective ways to provide convenient conditions to obtain seed cells for neural regeneration researches.

Growth and differentiation factor-11 is developmentally regulated in skeletal muscle and inhibits myoblast differentiation

Growth and differentiation factor-11 (GDF-11) is a secreted protein that is closely related to myostatin, a known inhibitor of skeletal muscle development. The role of GDF-11 in regulating skeletal muscle growth remains unclear and the pattern of expression during post-natal growth has not been reported. Therefore, we sought to determine the expression of GDF-11 during post-natal growth and its effect on myoblast proliferation and differentiation. We collected gastrocnemius muscles from male and female mice at 2, 3, 4, 6, 12, 20 and 32 weeks of age (n = 6 per sex and age). In addition, gastrocnemius muscles were col- lected from male wild-type and myostatin knockout mice at 4, 6, 12 and 20 weeks of age (n = 6 per age and genotype). RNA was extracted and reverse tran- scribed. Northern analysis identified an expected 4.4 kb mRNA transcript for GDF-11 in gastrocnemius muscles of mice. The concentration of GDF-11 mRNA, as determined by quantitative PCR, was increased in gastrocnemius muscles from 2 to 6 weeks—a period of rapid postnatal muscle growth—and remained higher in male than female mice from 4 to 20 weeks of age (P gastrocnemius muscles of myostatin knockout compared with wild-type mice (P < 0.05), which may suggest a compensatory mecha- nism for the lack of myostatin. In support, recombi- nant GDF-11 inhibited differentiation of C2C12 mur- ine myoblasts and those isolated from myostatin knockout and wild-type mice (P < 0.05). Inhibited dif-ferentiation of C2C12 myoblasts was associated with decreased mRNA expression of early and late mo- lecular markers of differentiation (MyoD, myogenin, IGF-II, desmin and MyHC, P < 0.05). Our results suggest that GDF-11 regulates growth of skeletal muscles by inhibiting myoblast differentiation in an autocrine/paracrine manner and, perhaps, also plays a role in regulating sexually dimorphic growth.

Human myoblast genome therapy

Human Myoblast Genome Therapy (HMGT) is a platform technology of cell transplantation, nuclear transfer, and tissue engineering. Unlike stem cells, myoblasts are differentiated, immature cells destined to become muscles. Myoblasts cultured from satellite cells of adult muscle biopsies survive, develop, and function to revitalize degenerative muscles upon transplantation. Injection injury activates regeneration of host myofibers that fuse with the engrafted myoblasts, sharing their nuclei in a common gene pool of the syncytium. Thus, through nuclear transfer and complementation, the normal human genome can be transferred into muscles of patients with genetic disorders to achieve phenotype repair or disease prevention. Myoblasts are safe and efficient gene transfer vehicles endogenous to muscles that constitute 50% of body weight. Results of over 280 HMGT procedures on Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy (DMD) subjects in the past 15 years demonstrated absolute safety. Myoblast-injected DMD muscles showed improved histology. Strength increase at 18 months post-operatively averaged 123%. In another application of HMGT on ischemic cardiomyopathy, the first human myoblast transfer into porcine myocardium revealed that it was safe and effective. Clinical trials on approximately 220 severe cardiomyopathy patients in 15 countries showed a <10% mortality. Most subjects received autologous cells implanted on the epicardial surface during coronory artery bypass graft, or injected on the endomyocardial surface percutaneously through guiding catheters. Significant increases in left ventricular ejection fraction, wall thickness, and wall motion have been reported, with reduction in perfusion defective areas, angina, and shortness of breath. As a new modality of treatment for disease in the skeletal muscle or myocardium, HMGT emerged as safe and effective. Large randomized multi-center trials are under way to confirm these preliminary results. The future of HMGT is bright and exciting.

MicroRNA bta-miR-365-3p inhibits proliferation but promotes differentiation of primary bovine myoblasts by targeting the activin A receptor type Ⅰ

Background: MicroRNAs act as post-transcriptional regulators that repress translation or degrade mRNA transcripts.Each microRNA has many mRNA targets and each mRNA may be targeted by several microRNAs. Skeletal muscles express a plethora of microRNA genes that regulate muscle development and function by controlling the expression of protein-coding target genes. To expand our understanding of the role of microRNA, specifically btamiR-365-3 p, in muscle biology, we investigated its functions in regulating primary bovine myoblast proliferation and differentiation.Results: Firstly, we found that bta-miR-365-3 p was predominantly expressed in skeletal muscle and heart tissue in Chinese Qinchuan beef cattle. Quantitative PCR and western blotting results showed that overexpression of btamiR-365-3 p significantly reduced the expression levels of cyclin D1(CCND1), cyclin dependent kinase 2(CDK2) and proliferating cell nuclear antigen(PCNA) but stimulated the expression levels of muscle differentiation markers, i.e.,MYOD1, MYOG at both mRNA and protein level. Moreover, downregulation of bta-miR-365-3 p increased the expression of CCND1, CDK2 and PCNA but decreased the expression of MYOD1 and MYOG at both mRNA and protein levels. Furthermore, flow cytometry, EdU proliferation assays and immunostaining results showed that increased levels of bta-miR-365-3 p suppressed cell proliferation but promoted myotube formation, whereas decreased levels of bta-miR-365-3 p resulted in the opposite consequences. Finally, we identified that activin A receptor type I(ACVR1) could be a direct target of bta-miR-365-3 p. It was demonstrated that bta-miR-365-3 p can bind to the 3'UTR of ACVR1 gene to regulate its expression based on dual luciferase gene reporter assays.Consistently, knock-down of ACVR1 was associated with decreased expressions of CDK2, CCND1 and PCNA but increased expression of MYOG and MYOD1 both at mRNA and protein level.Conclusion: Collectively, these data suggested that bta-miR-365-3 p represses proliferation but promotes differentiation of bovine myoblasts through several biological mechanisms involving downregulation of ACVR1.

Change of p16^(INK4a) and PNCA Protein Expression in Myocardium after Injection of hIGF-1 Gene Modified Skeletal Myoblasts into Post-infarction Rats

This study examined the change of p16^INK4a and PNCA protein expression in myocardium after injection of hIGF-1 gene modified skeletal myoblasts into post-infarction rats. HIGF-1 gene modified skeletal myoblasts （hIGF-1-myoblasts） were injected into hind limb muscles of 18 post-infraction rats （experimental group）. Primary-myoblasts were injected into 18 post-infraction rats （control group） and 12 non-infarction rats （sham group）. Expression of p16INK4a and PCNA pro- tein in myocardiums were separately detected immunocytochemically 1, 2 and 4 weeks after the inuection. The level of hIGF-1 and rIGF-1 protein in serum and myocardium were detected by en- zyme-linked immunosorbent assay （ELISA）. Compared with the sham group, the percentage of p^16INK4a and PCNA positive cells reached a peak after 1 week in the control group and the experimental group （P〈0.01）. Moreover, the percentage of p16^INK4a-positive cells in the experimental group was lower than in control group whereas the percentage of PCNA-positive cells was lower in the control group than in the experimental group （P〈0.01）. The percentage of p16^INK4a-positive cells in the experimental group and the percentage of PCNA-positive cells in the control group were close to that in the sham group from the 2nd week （P〉0.05）. ELISA analysis disclosed that the myocardium level of rIGF-1 protein increased gradually in the controls and especially in the experimental group （P〈0.01）. The serum level of rIGF-1 decreased significantly in post-infraction rats, but these conditions were improved in the experimental group （P〈0.01）. The hIGF-1 protein in serum and myocar- dium were detected from the 1st week to the 4th week in the experimental group. Statistical analysis revealed significant associations of myocardium level of hIGF-1 protein with expression of p^16INK4a and PCNA protein （r=–0.323, P〈0.05; r=0.647, P〈0.01）. It is concluded that genetically hIGF-1-myoblast provides a means for constant synthesis and release of hIGF-1. It could not only improve the expression of rIGF-1 and PCNA protein in myocardium, but also suppress the expression of p16^INK4a protein for 30 days in post-infraction rats. Myoblasts-mediated IGF-1 gene therapy may provide a new alternative for the clinical treatment of heart failure.

Constructing retroviral vector carrying green fluorescent protein(GFP)and investigating the expression of GFP in primary rat myoblast

Objective： To construct green fluorescent protein（GFP） retroviral vector（pLgXSN）, and to investigate the expression of GFP in primary rat myoblast. Methods： GFP cDNA was subcloned into the plasmid pLgXSN, and the recombinant vector was transfected into packaging cell PT67. G418 was used to select positive colony. Myoblasts were infected by a high-titer viral supernatant. The recombinant retroviral plasmid vector was identified by restriction endonuclease analysis and DNA sequence analysis. Confocal microscopy and flow cytometry were used to detect the expression of GFP. Results： The GFP cDNA sequence was identical to that of GenBank. Recombinant retroviral plasmid vector pLgGFPSN was constructed successfully. The titer of the packaged recombinant retrovirus was 1×10^6 cfu/ml. Bright green fluorescence of the transfected cells was observed under confocal microscope 48 h after transfection. The transfection rate was 33%. The effective expression of GFP in myoblast infected by recombinant retrovirus lasted for 6 weeks. Conclusion： GFP gene could be effectively and stably expressed in myoblast, which suggests that GFP could act as a marker for studies on myoblast.

Disease Prevention and Alleviation by Human Myoblast Transplantation

Myoblast implantation is a unique, patented technology of muscle regeneration being tested in Phase III clinical trials of muscular dystrophy, ischemic cardiomyopathy, Phase II trial of cancer, and Phase I trial of Type II diabetes. Differentiated and committed, myoblasts are not stem cells. Implanted myoblasts fuse spontaneously among themselves, replenishing genetically normal myofibers. They also fuse with genetically abnormal myofibers of muscular dystrophy, cardiomyopathy, or Type II diabetes, transferring their nuclei containing the normal human genome to provide stable, long-term expression of the missing gene products. They develop to become cardiomyocytes in the infracted myocardium. Myoblasts transduced with VEGF165 allow concomitant regeneration of blood capillaries and myofibers. They are potent biologics for treating heart failure, ischemic cardiomyopathy, diabetic ischemia, erectile dysfunction, and baldness. Myoblasts, because of their small size, spindle shape, and resilience, can grow within wrinkles and on skin surfaces, thus enhancing the color, luster and texture of the skin “plated” with them. They can be injected subcutaneously as a cellular filler to reduce wrinkles. Intramuscular injection of myoblasts can augment the size, shape, consistency, tone and strength of muscle groups, improving the lines, contours and vitality to sculpt a youthful appearance. This highly promising technology has great social economic values in treating hereditary, fatal and debilitating disease conditions.

Myoblast transplantation can repair heart damage

Myocardial regeneration is an exciting new frontier for the treatment of heart disease. Many approaches are currently being tested. The use of autologous skeletal myoblasts has been the earliest, with over 10 years of research having been conducted. Current progress in the area of skeletal myoblasts for cardiac regeneration is presented. Reviewed is work from both pre-clinical and clinical studies. Work in this area continues to progress and definitive studies to assess efficacy of myoblasts for heart failure either have been initiated or will be initiated shortly. One result that is clear is that myoblasts can survive and form myotubes and myofibers in the area of myocardial infarction. In the early clinical trials, arrhythmia was a concern. However, further studies have shown that the risk was assumed prematurely based on limited human studies. Myoblasts, therefore, provide a highly promising treatment for heart disease.

Myoblast transplantation for heart repair:A review of the state of the field

Over 200 humans have been treated with myoblast transplantation for heart muscle repair since June 2000. Bioheart sponsored percutaneous delivery studies began in May 2001 in Europe. Approximately one third of the patients have exhibited substantial improvement in left ventricular ejection fraction (LVEF) of over 30% and two heart failure class improvements. Over 80% of the patients have exhibited one heart failure class improvement with moderate improvement of LVEF. Clinical trials seem to demonstrate a marked reduction in emergency hospitalizations in myoblast treated patients. Many years of careful studies have lead to randomized controlled studies that are enrolling patients now at numerous centers worldwide. A firm conclusion on the safety and efficacy of myoblast transplantation cannot be determined until these randomized studies are completed. Final results from randomized controlled studies should be available soon.

Therapeutic angiomyogenesis using human non-viral transduced VEGF₁₆₅-myoblasts

This article reviews the scientific development of angiomyogenesis using VEGF165-myoblasts, a patented biotechnology platform in regenerative medicine associated with Human Myoblast Genome Therapy (HMGT), also known as Myoblast Transfer Therapy (MTT). VEGF165-myoblasts are the leading biologics for angiomyogenesis. This review also compares the safety and efficacy of VEGF165-myoblasts transduced using adenoviral vectors, nanoparticles or liposomes, in anticipation of their application in clinical trials in the near future. VEGF165-myoblasts are differentiated myogenic cells capable of extensive division, natural cell fusion, nucleus transfer, cell therapy and genome therapy. Following transplantation they survive, develop and function to revitalize degenerative myocardium in heart failure and ischemic cardiomyopathy animal studies. VEGF165-myoblasts are second generation products of HMGT/MTT which replenishes live cells and genetically repairs degenerating myofibers in Type II diabetes, muscular dystrophies, aging dysfunction and disfigurement. Myoblasts have also been used to enhance skin and muscle appearance in cosmetology. We envision that VEGF165-myoblasts will provide better outcome than their non-tranduced counterparts. Myoblasts are not stem cells. Their competitive advantages over stem cells are presented.

Induced Differentiation of Adipose-derived Stromal Cells into Myoblasts

This study aimed to induce the differentiation of isolated and purified adipose-derived stromal cells(ADSCs) into myoblasts,which may provide a new strategy for tissue engineering in patients with stress urinary incontinence(SUI).ADSCs,isolated and cultured ex vivo,were identified by flow cytometry and induced to differentiate into myoblasts in the presence of an induction solution consisting of DMEM supplemented with 5-azacytidine(5-aza),5% FBS,and 5% horse serum.Cellular morphology was observed under an inverted microscope.Ultrastructural changes occurring during the differentiation were observed by transmission electron microscopy and confocal laser scanning microscopy.Cellular immunohistochemical staining was applied to determine the expression of desmin protein in cells with and without induced differentiation.Reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction(RT-PCR) and Western blotting were used to detect mRNA and protein expression,respectively,of sarcomeric and desmin smooth muscle proteins.The results showed that ADSCs were mainly of a spindle or polygon shape.Flow cytometry analysis revealed that ADSCs did not express CD34,CD45,and CD106 but high levels of CD44 and CD90,which confirmed that the cultured cells were indeed ADSCs.After induction with a 5-aza-containing solution,morphological changes in ADSCs,including irregular cell size,were observed.Cells gradually changed from long spindles to polygons and star-shaped cells with microvilli on the cell surface.Many organelles were observed and the cytoplasm was found to contain many mitochondria,rough endoplasmic reticulum(rER),and myofilament-like structures.Cell immunohistochemical staining revealed different levels of desmin expression in each phase of the induction process,with the highest expression level found on day 28 of induction.RT-PCR and Western blot results confirmed significantly higher desmin gene expression in induced cells compared with control cells,but no significant difference between the two groups of cells in sarcomeric protein expression.It was concluded that under specific induction setting,ADSCs can be induced to differentiate into myoblasts,providing a potential new option in stem cell transplantation therapy for SUI.

Regulation of Hypoxic Response Elements on the Expression of Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor Gene Transfected to Rat Skeletal Myoblasts under Hypoxic Environment

The regulation of hypoxic response elements on the expression of vascular endothelial growth factor （VEGF） gene transfected to primary cultured rat skeletal myoblasts under hypoxic environment was investigated. pEGFP-C3-9HRE-CMV-VEGF vector was constructed with molecular biology technique and transfected to primary cultured rat skeletal myoblasts by lipofectamine in vitro. Gene expression of transfected myoblasts was detected by RT-PCR, Western blot and fluorescence microscope under different oxygen concentrations and different hypoxia time. The results showed that in hypoxia group, the VEGF gene bands were seen and with the decrease of oxygen concentrations and prolongation of hypoxia time, the expression of VEGF mRNA was obviously increased. Under hypoxic environment, the expression of VEGF protein in the transfected myoblasts was significantly increased. EGFP was expressed only under hypoxic environment but not under normoxic environment. It was concluded that hypoxia promoter could be constructed with HRE and regulate the expression of VEGF gene under hypoxic and normoxic environment, which could enhance the re- liability of gene therapy.

C-type natriuretic peptide stimulates chicken myoblast differentiation through NPRB/NPRC receptors and metabolism pathway

Skeletal muscle development is closely related with the amount of meat production and its quality in chickens. Natriuretic peptides(NPs) play an important role in myotube formation and fat oxidation of skeletal muscle in animals. The effect of C-type natriuretic peptide(CNP), an important member of the NPs, and its underlying molecular mechanisms in skeletal muscle are incompletely understood. Treatment of myoblasts with CNP led to enhanced proliferation/differentiation and significantly upregulated(P<0.05) m RNA expression of the CNP receptors natriuretic peptide receptor B(NPRB) and the clearance receptor C(NPRC). In cells exposed to CNP, 142 differentially expressed genes(84 up-regulation and 58 down-regulation)(P<0.05) were identified by RNA-sequencing compared with those in control cells. Sixteen genes were significantly enriched(P<0.05) in the metabolic pathway, and six of them(phospholipase C β4, phospholipase C β2, phosphoglycerate mutase 1, creatine kinase B, peroxiredoxin 6 and CD38) were closely related to skeletal muscle development and differentially expressed. In conclusion, CNP stimulated differentiation of myoblasts by upregulating expression of the NPRB and NPRC receptors and enriching key genes in the metabolic pathway.

Exosomes derived from inflammatory myoblasts promote M1 polarization and break the balance of myoblast proliferation/differentiation

BACKGROUND Acute muscle injuries are one of the most common injuries in sports.Severely injured muscles are prone to re-injury due to fibrotic scar formation caused by prolonged inflammation.How to regulate inflammation and suppress fibrosis is the focus of promoting muscle healing.Recent studies have found that myoblasts and macrophages play important roles in the inflammatory phase following muscle injury;however,the crosstalk between these two types of cells in the inflammatory environment,particularly the exosome-related mechanisms,had not been well studied.AIM To evaluate the effects of exosomes from inflammatory C2C12 myoblasts(IFC2C12-Exos)on macrophage polarization and myoblast proliferation/differentiation.METHODS A model of inflammation was established in vitro by lipopolysaccharide stimulation of myoblasts.C2C12-Exos were isolated and purified from the supernatant of myoblasts by gradient centrifugation.Multiple methods were used to identify the exosomes.Gradient concentrations of IF-C2C12-Exos were added to normal macrophages and myoblasts.PKH67 fluorescence tracing was used to identify the interaction between exosomes and cells.Microscopic morphology,Giemsa stain,and immunofluorescence were carried out for histological analysis.Additionally,ELISA assays,flow cytometry,and western blot were conducted to analyze molecular changes.Moreover,myogenic proliferation was assessed by the BrdU test,scratch assay,and CCK-8 assay.RESULTS We found that the PKH-67-marked C2C12-Exos can be endocytosed by both macrophages and myoblasts.IF-C2C12-Exos induced M1 macrophage polarization and suppressed the M2 phenotype in vitro.In addition,these exosomes also stimulated the inflammatory reactions of macrophages.Further-more,we demonstrated that IF-C2C12-Exos disrupted the balance of myoblast proliferation/differentiation,leading to enhanced proliferation and suppressed fibrogenic/myogenic differentiation.CONCLUSION IF-C2C12-Exos can induce M1 polarization,resulting in a sustained and aggravated inflammatory environment that impairs myoblast differentiation,and leads to enhanced myogenic proliferation.These results demonstrate why prolonged inflammation occurs after acute muscle injury and provide a new target for the regulation of muscle regeneration.

World’s First Myoblast Treatment of Human Cancer Found Safe and Efficacious

Evolution of placental mammals over the past 160 million years witnesses the relative sparing of muscles from cancer attacks. In 1) nude mice with human gastrointestinal or lung tumors, and 2) human subjects with liver, lung or gastrointestinal tumors, intra-tumor implantation of allogeneic human myoblasts induced cancer apoptosis, inhibiting metastasis and tumor growth. We postulate four mechanisms of cancer apoptosis: a) myoblasts releasing tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α);b) deprivation of nutrients and oxygen;c) local inflammatory and immunologic attacks;and d) prevention from metastasis. These basic and clinical studies demonstrated preliminary safety and efficacy of intra-tumor myoblast implantation in the development of prevention and treatment for cancer, now the number one disease killer of mankind.

Recurrent Inflammatory Myoblastic Tumour of the Vocal Cord: A Rare Case Report from Malaysia

Inflammatory myoblastic tumour (IMT) is a rare benign neoplasm that can affect any part of the body including the head and neck. When it is affecting the head and neck region, the clinical presentations can mimic other common head and neck pathology. If the tumour involves the upper airway it can cause stridor and hoarseness. Other presenting features are neck swelling and dysphagia. This tumour may mimic other chronic granulomatous diseases. This case report described a rare IMT arising from the vocal cord and presents with hoarseness and stridor for six months duration. The patient has no known risk factors. Despite surgical resection, the tumour recurred within six month and further surgical resection was performed, but yet the tumour recurred after one year following second surgery. She was then further treated with mass excision by Endolaryngeal Microsurgery (ELMS) with steroid laryngeal injection. Currently she is still being followed up and remains asymptomatic.