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Utilization of myoblasts from transgenic mice to evaluate the efficacy of myoblast transplantation
Author(s) -
Kinoshita Ikuo,
Huard Johnny,
Tremblay Jacques P.
Publication year - 1994
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.880170903
Subject(s) - myocyte , myogenesis , dystrophin , transplantation , duchenne muscular dystrophy , muscular dystrophy , transgene , skeletal muscle , mdx mouse , biology , medicine , microbiology and biotechnology , endocrinology , gene , biochemistry
A possible treatment for Duchenne muscular dystrophy is the injection of normal myoblasts into dystrophic muscles to induce the formation of new, healthy, and dystrophin‐positive muscle fibers. To develop this therapy, it is important to identify the muscle fibers formed by the injected myoblasts in the host muscles. In this study, we used myoblasts from transgenic mice which have a gene expressing β‐galactosidase under the control of the promoter of quail fast skeletal muscle troponin I. This transgene is expressed in myotubes and muscle fibers, but not in myoblasts. Twenty‐eight days after myoblast transplantation in nude and in mdx mice, muscle fibers containing of β‐galactosidase were identified by x‐gal staining. In mdx mice, most of the β‐galactosidase‐positive muscle fibers resulting from the myoblast transplantation were also dystrophin positive. This technique could make it possible to follow the success of myoblast transplantation even in mice that are not depleted of dystrophin. © 1994 John Wiley & Sons, Inc.