Influence of beta 2-adrenoceptor on histological and molecular aspects of fibro-adipogenic progenitor (FAPs) cells residing in regenerating skeletal muscle

• Grant number: 22/04011-6
• Support Opportunities: Scholarships in Brazil - Master
• Start date: July 01, 2023
• End date: April 30, 2024
• Field of knowledge: Biological Sciences - Morphology - Anatomy
• Principal Investigator: Elen Haruka Miyabara
• Grantee: Thiago Cruz Silva
• Host Institution: Instituto de Ciências Biomédicas (ICB). Universidade de São Paulo (USP). São Paulo , SP, Brazil

Abstract

Skeletal muscle has a remarkable ability to regenerate after injury, which is attributed to the presence of muscle stem cells called satellite cells. In addition, after muscle injury, fibro- adipogenic progenitors (FAPs), mesenchymal interstitial cells residing in the skeletal muscle, are activated, proliferate and expand, and provide a transient favorable environment to promote satellite cell-mediated muscle regeneration. Considering that 1) the molecular mechanisms involved in the action of FAPs during skeletal muscle regeneration are still not fully understood; 2) previous studies by our group showed that regenerating muscles of beta 2-adrenoceptor knockout mice exhibit aberrant connective tissue, altered satellite cell function resulting in impaired structural and functional regeneration, 3) FAPs play an important role in satellite cell function and in the repair of the extracellular matrix during muscle regeneration; and 4) gene expression of interleukin-6 (IL-6), a cytokine secreted by FAPs, is reduced within 3 days after injury in skeletal muscle lacking the beta 2-adrenoceptor, which suggests that this receptor could be important for the regulation of the number/function of FAPs in this period and consequently of the IL-6 mRNA levels; it is possible to hypothesize that beta 2-adrenoceptor-dependent signaling influences histological and molecular aspects of FAPs during muscle regeneration. Therefore, the objective of this study is to contribute to a better understanding of the cellular and molecular mechanisms involved in skeletal muscle regeneration, through the study of the influence of the beta 2-adrenoceptor on histological and molecular aspects of FAPs cells residing in the regenerating skeletal muscle (Please verify the details in the project).