Myofiber-specific inhibition of TGF? signaling protects skeletal muscle from injury and dystrophic disease in mice.
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ABSTRACT: Muscular dystrophy (MD) is a disease characterized by skeletal muscle necrosis and the progressive accumulation of fibrotic tissue. While transforming growth factor (TGF)-? has emerged as central effector of MD and fibrotic disease, the cell types in diseased muscle that underlie TGF?-dependent pathology have not been segregated. Here, we generated transgenic mice with myofiber-specific inhibition of TGF? signaling owing to expression of a TGF? type II receptor dominant-negative (dnTGF?RII) truncation mutant. Expression of dnTGF?RII in myofibers mitigated the dystrophic phenotype observed in ?-sarcoglycan-null (Sgcd(-/-)) mice through a mechanism involving reduced myofiber membrane fragility. The dnTGF?RII transgene also reduced muscle injury and improved muscle regeneration after cardiotoxin injury, as well as increased satellite cell numbers and activity. An unbiased global expression analysis revealed a number of potential mechanisms for dnTGF?RII-mediated protection, one of which was induction of the antioxidant protein metallothionein (Mt). Indeed, TGF? directly inhibited Mt gene expression in vitro, the dnTGF?RII transgene conferred protection against reactive oxygen species accumulation in dystrophic muscle and treatment with Mt mimetics protected skeletal muscle upon injury in vivo and improved the membrane stability of dystrophic myofibers. Hence, our results show that the myofibers are central mediators of the deleterious effects associated with TGF? signaling in MD.
SUBMITTER: Accornero F
PROVIDER: S-EPMC4271062 | biostudies-literature | 2014 Dec
REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature
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