Human adipose-derived mesenchymal stromal cells injected systemically into GRMD dogs without immunosuppression are able to reach the host muscle and express human dystrophin

Duchenne muscular dystrophy (DMD), a lethal X-linked disorder, is the most common and severe form of muscular dystrophies, affecting 1 in 3,500 male births. Mutations in the DMD gene lead to the absence of muscle dystrophin and a progressive degeneration of skeletal muscle. The possibility to treat DMD through cell therapy has been widely investigated. We have previously shown that human adipose-derived stromal cells (hASCs) injected systemically in SJL mice are able to reach and engraft in the host muscle, express human muscle proteins, and ameliorate the functional performance of injected animals without any immunosuppression. However, before starting clinical trials in humans many questions still need to be addressed in preclinical studies, in particular in larger animal models, when available. The best animal model to address these questions is the golden retriever muscular dystrophy (GRMD) dog that reproduces the full spectrum of human DMD. Affected animals carry a mutation that predicts a premature termination codon in exon 8 and a peptide that is 5% the size of normal dystrophin. These dogs present clinical signs within the first weeks and most of them do not survive beyond age two. Here we show the results of local and intravenous injections of hASCs into GRMD dogs, without immunosuppression. We observed that hASCs injected systemically into the dog cephalic vein are able to reach, engraft, and express human dystrophin in the host GRMD dystrophic muscle up to 6 months after transplantation. Most importantly, we demonstrated that injecting a huge quantity of human mesenchymal cells in a large-animal model, without immunosuppression, is a safe procedure, which may have important applications for future therapy in patients with different forms of muscular dystrophies.

Effects of different physical exercises on leptin concentration in obese adolescents

In order to compare the effects of leisure physical activity (LPA), aerobic training (AT) and aerobic plus resistance training (AT + RT) as part of a 6-month interdisciplinary therapy in body composition, insulin resistance and leptin concentrations in obese adolescents, 72 volunteers (n = 24 in each group) ages 15-19 years were evaluated. Delta (Δ) body mass (kg) and Δ BMI (kg/m(2)) was different between AT and LPA groups and in AT + RT group compared to both LPA and AT groups; Δ body fat mass (kg and %) was different only in AT + RT group compared to both LPA and AT; Δ body lean mass (%) was different only in AT + RT group; Δ body lean mass (kg) was negative only in AT and positive and different from AT in AT + RT group; ΔHOMA-IR did not differ among groups; Δ leptin (ng/ml) was negative and different from LPA for both AT and AT + RT groups. In conclusion, both AT and AT + RT promoted a reduction on leptin levels, however, the adolescents subjected to AT + RT presented better results in body composition than the AT group. These results highlight the importance of associating aerobic and resistance training with nutritional and psychological approaches in the treatment of obese adolescents.

Lack of β2-AR improves exercise capacity and skeletal muscle oxidative phenotype in mice

β(2)-adrenergic receptor (β(2)-AR) agonists have been used as ergogenics by athletes involved in training for strength and power in order to increase the muscle mass. Even though anabolic effects of β(2)-AR activation are highly recognized, less is known about the impact of β(2)-AR in endurance capacity. We presently used mice lacking β(2)-AR [β(2)-knockout (β(2) KO)] to investigate the role of β(2)-AR on exercise capacity and skeletal muscle metabolism and phenotype. β(2) KO mice and their wild-type controls (WT) were studied. Exercise tolerance, skeletal muscle fiber typing, capillary-to-fiber ratio, citrate synthase activity and glycogen content were evaluated. When compared with WT, β(2) KO mice displayed increased exercise capacity (61%) associated with higher percentage of oxidative fibers (21% and 129% of increase in soleus and plantaris muscles, respectively) and capillarity (31% and 20% of increase in soleus and plantaris muscles, respectively). In addition, β(2) KO mice presented increased skeletal muscle citrate synthase activity (10%) and succinate dehydrogenase staining. Likewise, glycogen content (53%) and periodic acid-Schiff staining (glycogen staining) were also increased in β(2) KO skeletal muscle. Altogether, these data provide evidence that disruption of β(2)-AR improves oxidative metabolism in skeletal muscle of β(2) KO mice and this is associated with increased exercise capacity.

Aerobic exercise training improves skeletal muscle function and Ca2+ handling-related protein expression in sympathetic hyperactivity-induced heart failure

The cellular mechanisms of positive effects associated with aerobic exercise training on overall intrinsic skeletal muscle changes in heart failure (HF) remain unclear. We investigated potential Ca2+ abnormalities in skeletal muscles comprising different fiber compositions and investigated whether aerobic exercise training would improve muscle function in a genetic model of sympathetic hyperactivity-induced HF. A cohort of male 5-mo-old wild-type (WT) and congenic α2A/α2C adrenoceptor knockout (ARKO) mice in a C57BL/6J genetic background were randomly assigned into untrained and trained groups. Exercise training consisted of a 8-wk running session of 60 min, 5 days/wk (from 5 to 7 mo of age). After completion of the exercise training protocol, exercise tolerance was determined by graded treadmill exercise test, muscle function test by Rotarod, ambulation and resistance to inclination tests, cardiac function by echocardiography, and Ca2+ handling-related protein expression by Western blot. α2A/α2CARKO mice displayed decreased ventricular function, exercise intolerance, and muscle weakness paralleled by decreased expression of sarcoplasmic Ca2+ release-related proteins [α1-, α2-, and β1-subunits of dihydropyridine receptor (DHPR) and ryanodine receptor (RyR)] and Ca2+ reuptake-related proteins [sarco(endo)plasmic reticulum Ca2+-ATPase (SERCA)1/2 and Na+/Ca2+ exchanger (NCX)] in soleus and plantaris. Aerobic exercise training significantly improved exercise tolerance and muscle function and reestablished the expression of proteins involved in sarcoplasmic Ca2+ handling toward WT levels. We provide evidence that Ca2+ handling-related protein expression is decreased in this HF model and that exercise training improves skeletal muscle function associated with changes in the net balance of skeletal muscle Ca2+ handling proteins.

Exercise training attenuates lipectomy-induced impaired glucose tolerance in rats

OBJECTIVE

Since visceral adipose tissue (VAT) may account for impaired peripheral and hepatic insulin sensitivity (IS), it has been hypothesized that the partial removal of VAT could result in improved insulin action, while the re-growth of the excised tissue and/or compensatory growth of non-excised depots seems to occur. Thus, it was aimed to investigate whether or not VAT removal and exercise affect IS.

METHODS

Male Wistar rats were fed a high-fat diet and subsequently assigned randomly to one of four groups: 1. exercised plus lipectomized (EL), 2. exercised plus sham-lipectomized (ES), 3. sedentary plus lipectomized (CL), 4. sedentary plus sham-lipectomized (CS). After lipectomy, EL and ES animals underwent a 7-consecutive-day training period. Body weight, food intake, basal metabolic rate, fasting glucose, and glucose tolerance were assessed before and after the interventions. Fasting insulin and the HOMA index, body fat mass, and the expression of pro-inflammatory genes were assessed after the interventions.

RESULTS

EL group showed greater insulin sensitivity compared to all other groups. EL and ES groups showed lower fasting insulin levels when compared to CL and CS groups, respectively. The EL group showed improved IS when compared to the remaining groups. The CL group showed impaired glucose tolerance and increased TNF-alpha gene expression. Body weight and fat mass did not differ among the groups. PPAR gamma gene expression was increased in the EL and ES groups.

CONCLUSIONS

These results showed that short-term swimming training improved insulin sensitivity, but failed to prevent fat regain in lipectomized animals. Lipectomy induced impaired glucose tolerance, which is probably related to increased TNF-alpha gene expression. It is possible that a high-fat diet might be implicated in faster regain of adipose tissue after lipectomy. Our results also show that short-term exercise associated with lipectomy could improve insulin sensitivity.

Detection and characterization of rabies virus in Southern Brazil by PCR amplification and sequencing of the nucleoprotein gene

Due to the medical and socio-economical importance of both human and animal rabies infection, several studies have suggested the use of molecular techniques such as RT-PCR and DNA sequencing for diagnosis and phylogenetic studies of the rabies virus. Considering the conservancy of the nucleoprotein (N) gene of the virus, we herein describe a RT-PCR assay for rabies diagnosis and characterization. A total of 75 samples obtained from a variety of animal species in the state of Santa Catarina (SC), Southern Brazil, were comparatively studied by fluorescence antibody test (FAT), mouse inoculation test (MIT), cell infection assay and RT-PCR, which revealed itself to be as sensitive as FAT and MIT and less time-consuming than MIT. Direct sequencing of the 5' end of the N gene allowed the clustering of the SC samples with samples from the vampire bat-related or sylvatic cycle through comparative sequence analysis.