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Nerve growth factor expression in human dystrophic muscles
Author(s) -
Toti Paolo,
Villanova Marcello,
Vatti Rosella,
Schuerfeld Karin,
Stumpo Michela,
Barbagli Letizia,
Malandrini Alessandro,
Costantini Maurizio
Publication year - 2003
Publication title -
muscle and nerve
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.025
H-Index - 145
eISSN - 1097-4598
pISSN - 0148-639X
DOI - 10.1002/mus.10332
Subject(s) - nerve growth factor , regeneration (biology) , paracrine signalling , muscular dystrophy , fibrosis , neurotrophin , medicine , myofibroblast , pathology , growth factor , biology , endocrinology , anatomy , microbiology and biotechnology , receptor
Nerve growth factor (NGF) is a neurotrophin that is expressed during muscle development and is also capable of favoring muscle regeneration in experimental studies. The presence of NGF in muscular dystrophies, such as Duchenne and Becker muscular dystrophies, has never been fully explored. By means of immunohistochemistry, we show that regenerating muscle fibers from such patients consistently express NGF, as do myofibroblasts and mast cells. By contrast, rest fibers from dystrophic patients, as well as muscle fibers from healthy, control patients and even regenerative muscle fibers in polymyositis do not show NGF immunoreactivity. The paracrine effect of NGF on muscle regeneration, as well as its chemoattractant capacities for mast cells, may contribute to explaining why regenerating fibers most frequently occur in clusters and why mast cells are more numerous in dystrophic muscles. Moreover, being a mediator of wound healing and tissue fibrosis, NGF may contribute to long‐term muscle regeneration impairment by tissue fibrosis in the muscular dystrophies. Muscle Nerve 27: 370–373, 2003