Foster K, Graham IR, Otto A, Foster H, Trollet C, Yaworsky PJ, Walsh FS, Bickham D, Curtin NA, Kawar SL, Patel K, Dickson G. Adeno-associated virus-8-mediated intravenous transfer of myostatin propeptide leads to systemic functional improvements of slow but not fast muscle.
Rejuvenation Res 2009;
12:85-94. [PMID:
19405813 DOI:
10.1089/rej.2008.0815]
[Citation(s) in RCA: 27] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Myostatin is a member of the transformating growth factor-beta (TGF-beta) superfamily of proteins and is produced almost exclusively in skeletal muscle tissue, where it is secreted and circulates as a serum protein. Myostatin acts as a negative regulator of muscle mass through the canonical SMAD2/3/4 signaling pathway. Naturally occurring myostatin mutants exhibit a 'double muscling' phenotype in which muscle mass is dramatically increased as a result of both hypertrophy and hyperplasia. Myostatin is naturally inhibited by its own propeptide; therefore, we assessed the impact of adeno-associated virus-8 (AAV8) myostatin propeptide vectors when systemically introduced in MF-1 mice. We noted a significant systemic increase in muscle mass in both slow and fast muscle phenotypes, with no evidence of hyperplasia; however, the nuclei-to- cytoplasm ratio in all myofiber types was significantly reduced. An increase in muscle mass in slow (soleus) muscle led to an increase in force output; however, an increase in fast (extensor digitorum longus [EDL]) muscle mass did not increase force output. These results suggest that the use of gene therapeutic regimens of myostatin inhibition for age-related or disease-related muscle loss may have muscle-specific effects.
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