AUTHOR=Gattazzo Francesca , Molon Sibilla , Morbidoni Valeria , Braghetta Paola , Blaauw Bert , Urciuolo Anna , Bonaldo Paolo TITLE=Cyclosporin A Promotes in vivo Myogenic Response in Collagen VI-Deficient Myopathic Mice JOURNAL=Frontiers in Aging Neuroscience VOLUME=6 YEAR=2014 URL=https://www.frontiersin.org/journals/aging-neuroscience/articles/10.3389/fnagi.2014.00244 DOI=10.3389/fnagi.2014.00244 ISSN=1663-4365 ABSTRACT=

Mutations of genes encoding for collagen VI cause various muscle diseases in humans, including Bethlem myopathy and Ullrich congenital muscular dystrophy. Collagen VI null (Col6a1^−/−) mice are affected by a myopathic phenotype with mitochondrial dysfunction, spontaneous apoptosis of muscle fibers, and defective autophagy. Moreover, Col6a1^−/− mice display impaired muscle regeneration and defective self-renewal of satellite cells after injury. Treatment with cyclosporin A (CsA) is effective in normalizing the mitochondrial, apoptotic, and autophagic defects of myofibers in Col6a1^−/− mice. A pilot clinical trial with CsA in Ullrich patients suggested that CsA may increase the number of regenerating myofibers. Here, we report the effects of CsA administration at 5 mg/kg body weight every 12 h in Col6a1^−/− mice on muscle regeneration under physiological conditions and after cardiotoxin (CdTx)-induced muscle injury. Our findings indicate that CsA influences satellite cell activity and triggers the formation of regenerating fibers in Col6a1^−/− mice. Data obtained on injured muscles show that under appropriate administration, regimens CsA is able to stimulate myogenesis in Col6a1^−/− mice by significantly increasing the number of myogenin (MyoG)-positive cells and of regenerating myofibers at the early stages of muscle regeneration. CsA is also able to ameliorate muscle regeneration of Col6a1^−/− mice subjected to multiple CdTx injuries, with a concurrent maintenance of the satellite cell pool. Our data show that CsA is beneficial for muscle regeneration in Col6a1^−/− mice.