MUSCLE TRANSPLANTATION BETWEEN NORMAL AND DYSTROPHIC MICE. 2. HISTOCHEMICAL STUDIES

Mdx muscle grafts retain the mdx phenotype in normal hosts

Whole muscle grafts were made between mdx and normal mice to investigate whether the mdx myopathic lesion is intrinsic to mdx muscle or is a property of its environment. Grafts were examined between 20 and 101 days. Unequivocal necrotic muscle fibers and/or newly formed basophilic myotubes were noted in 8 of 16 grafts of mdx muscle made in normal hosts but in none of 16 grafts of normal muscle made in mdx hosts. In older grafts, the proportion of centrally nucleated fibers and variability of fiber diameter were both higher in mdx muscle grafted into normal hosts than in normal muscle grafted into either mdx or normal hosts. Analysis of the glucose-6-phosphate isomerase (GPI) isoenzyme content of the grafts indicated that the muscle formed was predominantly of donor origin. These findings provide evidence that the mdx lesion is a primary myopathy rather than secondary to an extramuscular primary lesion.

Regeneration of dystrophic muscle following multiple injections of bupivacaine

Regenerated myofibers formed subsequent to orthotopic transplantation of young, dystrophic mouse muscle fail to display the extensive histopathological changes characteristics of murine dystrophy. In order to determine whether this modification of the phenotypic expression of murine dystrophy is unique to the transplantation system or whether it can be found when other extreme trauma induces dystrophic muscle to regenerate, the extensor digitorum longus muscles of 4-6-week-old normal (129 ReJ +/+) and dystrophic (129 ReJ dy/dy) mice were given two series of injections of the myotoxin bupivacaine, spaced 12 hours apart. These injections resulted in necrosis of approximately 90% of the original myofibers. At 100 days after injection, the regenerated normal muscle appeared "healthy," whereas the regenerated dystrophic muscle displayed histopathological changes. It is suggested that the differences in the time course of innervation of the myotubes in the transplantation system as compared with that in the bupivacaine system may be a factor in determining whether regenerated dystrophic myofibers express a dystrophic morphology.

Muscular dystrophy and muscle regeneration

An animal model of muscular dystrophy, the dystrophic (129ReJ dy/dy) mutant mouse, was used to evaluate the regenerative phenomenon in dystrophic muscle. The effect of age on "spontaneous" regeneration (i.e., regeneration in the absence of secondary trauma) was assessed by quantitative morphometric analysis and evaluation of myosatellite cell dynamics (i.e., myosatellite cell frequency, proliferative activity, and fusion capability). Spontaneous regeneration ceased by the time the mice were 8 weeks old. The findings suggested that the small "regenerating" myofibers found in older dystrophic muscle had been formed earlier in the time course of the disease and were growth-inhibited. To determine the cause of the cessation of regeneration, dystrophic muscle was subjected to the severe trauma of whole-muscle transplantation, a trauma that results in total myofiber necrosis followed by de novo myotube formation. When young dystrophic muscle (from 4- to 6-week-old dystrophic mice) was orthotopically transplanted, the time course of degeneration-regeneration was similar to that seen in age-matched normal muscle. Moreover, the regenerated dystrophic myofibers were capable of long-term survival (200 days or longer after transplantation), and they failed to show evidence of histologic changes consistent with murine dystrophy. When older dystrophic muscle (from 17-week-old dystrophic mice), muscle that failed to display spontaneous regeneration, was transplanted, it displayed remarkable regenerative capacity. It was suggested that the cessation of spontaneous regeneration in older dystrophic murine muscle is due not to exhaustion of myosatellite cell proliferative capacity, but rather to age-related loss of the mitogenic effect of dystrophy on the myosatellite cells of dystrophic muscle.

Modification of the phenotypic expression of murine dystrophy: a morphological study

The extensor digitorum longus muscles of 4-6-week-old normal mice (129 ReJ) and dystrophic mice (129 ReJ dy/dy) were orthotopically transplanted. Grafted muscles were examined 1, 3, 7, 14, 20, 50, and 100 days post-transplantation. The myofibers of both types of grafts underwent a similar time course of necrosis and regeneration. Other than during the initial necrotic response, no evidence of necrotic myofibers was found in either type of grafted muscle. At 100 days post-transplantation, the grafted normal and dystrophic muscles were essentially similar, except that the dystrophic graft was of smaller size. Based on a comparison of the number of myofibers found at the 100-day grafts' widest girths [631 +/- 59 SEM, for normal grafts (Bourke and Ontell, 1984); 631 +/- 74 SEM, for dystrophic grafts], it is suggested that the regenerative capability of traumatized 4-6-week-old dystrophic muscle is similar to that of traumatized normal muscle. At 100 days post-transplantation, the grafted dystrophic muscle appeared "healthier" than untraumatized muscle from age-matched dystrophic mice, having less variation in myofiber diameter, better fascicular organization, and less connective tissue. The transplantation system demonstrates the possibility of modifying the expression of genetic programming of myopathic disorders using environmental manipulation.

Concomitance of basophilia, ribonucleic acid and acid phosphatase activity in regenerating muscle fibres

Regenerating fibres from tibialis anterior muscles of mice and hamsters transplanted as minced fragments for 7 and 9 days respectively were compared for basophilia, ribonucleic acid (RNA) and acid phosphatase activity with fibres in muscles of patients with Duchenne muscular dystrophy, limb--girdle dystrophy and dermatomyositis. Normal muscles of mice, hamsters and humans were used as controls. In normal muscle fibres basophilia and RNA activity were restricted to the nuclei and acid phosphatase activity was occasionally observed in the nuclei, endomysial connective tissue and around muscle spindles. Diseased human muscle fibres were rich in acid phosphatase activity, the enzyme being most prominent in degenerating and basophilic fibres. When examined in serial sections, all basophilic fibres showed RNA and acid phosphatase activity. Similarly, all regenerating fibres in minced transplants which were basophilic to haematoxylin contained high RNA and acid phosphatase activity. It is suggested that basophilia in diseased human muscle fibres represents regeneration and that the lysosomes, as defined by acid phosphatase activity in these fibres, may be promoting their growth and differentiation by facilitating greater nucleocytoplasmic communication which ultimately could lead to protein synthesis.