Comparative analysis of galectin-1 expression and cellular localization in skeletal muscle of mdx and normal mice submitted to physical exercise

• Grant number: 05/02452-0
• Support Opportunities: Scholarships in Brazil - Scientific Initiation
• Effective date (Start): October 01, 2005
• Effective date (End): September 30, 2006
• Field of knowledge: Biological Sciences - Biochemistry
• Principal Investigator: Maria Cristina Ramos Costa
• Grantee: Mariana Corrêa Coelho
• Host Institution: Centro de Saúde. Universidade de Ribeirão Preto (UNAERP). Ribeirão Preto , SP, Brazil

Abstract

Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy (DMD) is a neuromuscular disease caused by the absence of dystrophin, a cytoskeleton protein which connects actin to the extracellular matrix. There is a progressive muscular degeneration which eventually leads to early death by respiratory and/or cardiac failure. The mdx mouse, an animal model of DMD, presents sarcolemmal instability, increase of serum creatine kinase and cycles of muscular degeneration/ regeneration. The mild dystrophic phenotype is intensified by physical activity. Galectin 1 is a lectin with affinity by -galactosides and participates in several processes like cellular adhesion, proliferation, apoptosis, tumorigenesis, phagocytosis, inflammatory response, immune reactions, differentiation and muscular regeneration. In proliferating myoblasts, galectin 1 presents low expression and cytoplasmic localization. During fusion and differentiation in myotubes, the expression increases and the protein is secreted. Since galectin 1 is involved in muscular regeneration, this project aims to carry out a comparative analysis of its expression and localization in muscles of mdx and normal mice submitted to physical activity. Four-week-old mice (mdx and normal) will be analyzed in the beginning and in the end of 5 weeks of activity. The evaluation of galectin 1 levels will be done in gastrocnemius and diaphragm muscles by semiquantitative RT-PCR and western blot. The cellular localization will be analyzed by immunohistochemistry. It will be evaluated the degree of muscular degeneration (using Evans blue) and regeneration (number of fibers with central nucleus). The interest in studying galectin-1 in DMD can be justified by two main evidences: increased expression in regenerating muscles and its role in the conversion of dermal fibroblasts into myoblasts, which suggests the viability of galectin-1 therapeutic application.

Scientific publications

(References retrieved automatically from Web of Science and SciELO through information on FAPESP grants and their corresponding numbers as mentioned in the publications by the authors)

CERRI, DANIEL G.; RODRIGUES, LILIAN C.; STOWELL, SEAN R.; ARAUJO, DANIELA D.; COELHO, MARIANA C.; OLIVEIRA, SIBERE R.; BIZARIO, JOAO C. S.; CUMMINGS, RICHARD D.; DIAS-BARUFFI, MARCELO; COSTA, MARIA CRISTINA R.. Degeneration of dystrophic or injured skeletal muscles induces high expression of Galectin-1. GLYCOBIOLOGY, v. 18, n. 11, p. 842-850, NOV 2008. (05/02452-0, 05/02464-8)