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First published online September 12, 2003
doi: 10.1242/10.1242/jcs.00721

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Irradiation of dystrophic host tissue prior to myoblast transfer therapy enhances initial (but not long-term) survival of donor myoblasts

School of Anatomy and Human Biology, The University of Western Australia, 35 Stirling Highway, Crawley, Perth, WA 6009, Australia

^* Author for correspondence (e-mail: hodgetts{at}cyllene.uwa.edu.au)

Accepted 23 June 2003

There is a massive and rapid death of donor myoblasts (<20% surviving) within hours after intramuscular injection in myoblast transfer therapy (MTT), due to host immune cells, especially natural killer (NK) cells. To investigate the role of host immune cells in the dramatic death of donor myoblasts, MTT experiments were performed in irradiated host mice. Cultured normal C57BL/10ScSn male donor myoblasts were injected into muscles of female C57BL/10ScSn-Dmd^mdx host mice after one of three treatments: whole body irradiation (WBI) to eliminate all circulating leukocytes, WBI and bone marrow reconstitution (BMR), or local irradiation (or protection) of one limb. Similar experiments were performed in host mice after antibody depletion of NK cells. Numbers of male donor myoblasts were quantified using a Y-chromosome-specific (male) probe following total DNA extraction of injected muscles. WBI prior to MTT resulted in dramatically enhanced survival (80%) of donor myoblasts at 1 hour after MTT, supporting a central role for host inflammatory cells in the initial death of donor myoblasts seen in untreated host mice. BMR restored the massive and rapid loss (25% surviving) of donor myoblasts at 1 hour after MTT. Local pre-irradiation also resulted in increased donor myoblast numbers (35-40%) compared with untreated controls (10%) at 3 weeks after MTT. Preirradiation of host muscle with 10 Gy did not significantly stimulate proliferation of the injected donor myoblasts. Serum protein levels of TNF, IL-1ß, IL-6 and IL-12 fluctuated following irradiation treatments. These combined results strongly reinforce a major role for host immune cells in the rapid death of injected cultured donor myoblasts.

Key words: Myoblast transfer therapy, Survival, Whole body irradiation, Bone marrow reconstitution, NK cell depletion, Cytokine