MSCs-derived apoptotic extracellular vesicles promote muscle regeneration by inducing Pannexin 1 channel-dependent creatine release by myoblasts / 国际口腔科学杂志·英文版

Severe muscle injury is hard to heal and always results in a poor prognosis. Recent studies found that extracellular vesicle-based therapy has promising prospects for regeneration medicine, however, whether extracellular vesicles have therapeutic effects on severe muscle injury is still unknown. Herein, we extracted apoptotic extracellular vesicles derived from mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs-ApoEVs) to treat cardiotoxin induced tibialis anterior (TA) injury and found that MSCs-ApoEVs promoted muscles regeneration and increased the proportion of multinucleated cells. Besides that, we also found that apoptosis was synchronized during myoblasts fusion and MSCs-ApoEVs promoted the apoptosis ratio as well as the fusion index of myoblasts. Furthermore, we revealed that MSCs-ApoEVs increased the relative level of creatine during myoblasts fusion, which was released via activated Pannexin 1 channel. Moreover, we also found that activated Pannexin 1 channel was highly expressed on the membrane of myoblasts-derived ApoEVs (Myo-ApoEVs) instead of apoptotic myoblasts, and creatine was the pivotal metabolite involved in myoblasts fusion. Collectively, our findings firstly revealed that MSCs-ApoEVs can promote muscle regeneration and elucidated that the new function of ApoEVs as passing inter-cell messages through releasing metabolites from activated Pannexin 1 channel, which will provide new evidence for extracellular vesicles-based therapy as well as improving the understanding of new functions of extracellular vesicles.

CRISPR/Cas9-mediated MSTN gene editing induced mitochondrial alterations in C2C12 myoblast cells

Background: Myostatin (MSTN) negatively regulates muscle mass and is a potent regulator of energy metabolism. However, MSTN knockout have affect mitochondrial function. This research assessed the mitochondrial energy metabolism of Mstn−/+ KO cells, and wondered whether the mitochondria biogenesis are affected. Results: In this study, we successfully achieved Mstn knockout in skeletal muscle C2C12 cells using a CRISPR/Cas9 system and measured proliferation and differentiation using the Cell-Counting Kit-8 assay and qPCR, respectively. We found that MSTN dysfunction could promote proliferation and differentiation compared with the behaviour of wild-type cells. Moreover, Mstn KO induced an increase in KIF5B expression. The mitochondrial content was significantly increased in Mstn KO C2C12 cells, apparently associated with the increases in PGC-1α, Cox1, Cox2, ND1 and ND2 expression. However, no differences were observed in glucose consumption and lactate production. Interestingly, Mstn KO C2C12 cells showed an increase in IL6 and a decrease in TNF-1α levels. Conclusion: These findings indicate that MSTN regulates mitochondrial biogenesis and metabolism. This gene-editing cells provided favourable evidence for animal breeding and metabolic diseases.

Small activating RNA induces myogenic differentiation of rat adipose-derived stem cells by upregulating MyoD

ABSTRACTPurpose:RNA activation (RNAa) is a mechanism of gene activation triggered by promoter-targeted small double stranded RNAs (dsRNAs), also known as small activating RNAs (saRNAs). Myogenic regulatory factor MyoD is regarded as the master activator of myogenic differentiation cascade by binding to enhancer of muscle specific genes. Stress urinary incontinence (SUI) is a condition primarily resulted from urethral sphincter deficiency. It is thus expected that by promoting differentiation of adipose-derived stem cells (ADSCs) into myoblasts by activating MyoD gene through RNAa may offer benefits to SUI.Materials and Methods:Rats ADSCs were isolated, proliferated in vitro, and identified by flow cytometry. Purified ADSCs were then transfected with a MyoD saRNA or control transfected. Real-time polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) and western blotting were used to detect MyoD mRNA and protein expression, respectively. Immunocytochemical staining was applied to determine the expression of desmin protein in transfected cells. Cell viability was measured by using CellTiter 96® AQueous One Solution Cell Proliferation Assay kit.Results:Transfection of a MyoD saRNA (dsMyoD) into ADSCs significantly induced the expression of MyoD at both the mRNA and protein levels, and inhibited cell proliferation. Desmin protein expression was detected in dsMyoD treated ADSCs 2 weeks later.Conclusion:Our findings show that RNAa mediated overexpression of MyoD can promote transdifferentiation of ADSCs into myoblasts and may help treat stress urinary incontinence (SUI)–a condition primarily resulted from urethral sphincter deficiency.

Construction of a eukaryotic expression vector for pEGFP-FST and its biological activity in duck myoblasts

Background Follistatin (FST), a secreted glycoprotein, is intrinsically linked to muscle hypertrophy. To explore the function of duck FST in myoblast proliferation and differentiation, the pEGFP-FST eukaryotic expression vector was constructed and identified. The biological activities of this vector were analyzed by transfecting pEGFP-FST into cultured duck myoblasts using Lipofectamine™ 2000 and subsequently determining the mRNA expression profiles of FST and myostatin (MSTN). Results The duck pEGFP-FST vector was successfully constructed and was confirmed to have high liposome-mediated transfection efficiency in duck myoblasts. Additionally, myoblasts transfected with pEGFP-FST had a higher biological activity. Significantly, the overexpression of FST in these cells significantly inhibited the mRNA expression of MSTN (a target gene that is negatively regulated by FST). Conclusions The duck pEGFP-FST vector has been constructed successfully and exhibits biological activity by promoting myoblast proliferation and differentiation in vitro.

Molecular cloning and expression pattern of duck Six1 and its preliminary functional analysis in myoblasts transfected with eukaryotic expression vector.

Skeletal muscle development is regulated by Six1, an important myogenic transcription factor. However, the functional analysis of duck Six1 has not been reported. Here, we cloned the coding domain sequence (CDS) region of the duck Six1 gene using RT-PCR and RACE methods. Bioinformatics analysis revealed that duck Six1 CDS region comprised of 849 bp and encoded 282 amino acids and had a high degree of homology with other species, suggesting that the functions of duck Six1 gene are conserved among other animals. Real-time PCR used to determine the mRNA expression profiles of duck Six1 in different tissues and different developmental stages showed that Six1 was highly expressed in skeletal muscle and the embryonic stage. Furthermore, the eukaryotic expression vector pEGFP-duSix1 was constructed and transfected into the duck myoblasts; the MTT assay revealed an obvious increase of cell proliferation after transfection. The expression profiles of Six1, Myf5 and MyoD showed that their expression levels were significantly increased. These results together suggested that pEGFP-duSix1 vector was constructed successfully and overexpression of duck Six1 in the myoblasts could promote cell proliferation activity and significant up-regulate expression of Myf5 and MyoD.