Captopril treatment induces hyperplasia but inhibits myonuclear accretion following severe myotrauma in murine skeletal muscle

Am J Physiol Regul Integr Comp Physiol. 2011 Aug;301(2):R363-9. doi: 10.1152/ajpregu.00766.2010. Epub 2011 Jun 1.

Abstract

The role of ANG II in skeletal muscle and satellite cell regulation is largely unknown. Cardiotoxin (CTX) was used to investigate whether muscle injury activates a local ANG II signaling system. Following injury, immunohistochelmistry (IHC) analysis revealed a robust increase in the intensity of angiotensinogen and angiotensin type 1 (AT(1)) receptor expression. As regeneration proceeded, however, AT(1) and angiotensinogen were downregulated. Nuclear accretion and fiber formation were also assessed during muscle regeneration in mice treated with captopril (an angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitor). When ANG II formation was blocked through the use of captopril, we observed a significantly reduced accretion of nuclei into myofibers (-25%), while tibialis anterior total fiber number was significantly increased +37%. This phenotype appeared to be due to alterations in satellite cell differentiation kinetics; captopril treatment led to sustained mRNA expression of markers associated with quiescence and proliferation (Myf5, Pax7) and simultaneously delayed or inhibited the expression of myogenin. IHC staining supported these findings, revealing that captopril treatment resulted in a strong trend (P = 0.06) for a decrease in the proportion of myogenin-positive myoblasts. Furthermore, these observations were associated with a delay in muscle fiber maturation; captopril treatment resulted in sustained expression of embryonic myosin heavy chain. Collectively, these findings demonstrate that localized skeletal muscle angiotensin signaling is important to muscle fiber formation, myonuclear accretion, and satellite cell function.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Animals
  • Captopril / therapeutic use*
  • Cardiotoxins / toxicity
  • Cell Nucleus / drug effects
  • Gene Expression Regulation / drug effects
  • Hyperplasia / chemically induced*
  • Male
  • Mice
  • Mice, Inbred C57BL
  • Muscle Proteins / genetics
  • Muscle Proteins / metabolism
  • Muscle, Skeletal / injuries*
  • Muscular Diseases / chemically induced*
  • Muscular Diseases / drug therapy
  • RNA, Messenger / genetics
  • RNA, Messenger / metabolism
  • Signal Transduction / drug effects

Substances

  • Cardiotoxins
  • Muscle Proteins
  • RNA, Messenger
  • Captopril