Histological study of masseter muscle in a mouse muscular dystrophy model (mdx mouse)

Bull Tokyo Dent Coll. 2000 Aug;41(3):119-22. doi: 10.2209/tdcpublication.41.119.

Abstract

Histological changes in the masseter muscle were observed over time in mdx mice, a muscular dystrophy model. It was found that marked necrosis occurs about the time of weaning at around 4 weeks of age; then the tissue actively regenerates at 8 weeks and stabilizes as regenerated muscle with centronuclei at 15 weeks old. This study examined the centronucleus in regenerated muscle. The process from necrosis to regeneration in muscle fibers occurs a little later in the masseter muscle than in other limbic muscles. Regenerated muscles observed around 15 weeks after birth showed a moth-eaten appearance. Transmission Electron Microscope (TEM) observation of transverse sections of muscle fibers revealed that myofibrils surrounded lost regions in the area showing a moth-eaten appearance. Thus, some defensive mechanism may affect the ability of muscle fibers to maintain a function close to normal in mdx mice even though the muscle fibers develop muscular dystrophy. The function of the masseter muscle drastically changes from sucking to mastication behavior at around 4 weeks, and this was considered to influence the morphological changes in the muscle tissue. The moth-eaten appearance seen at 15 weeks may represent an appropriate myofibril reconstruction preventing invasion of the lost regions.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Aging / pathology
  • Animals
  • Cell Nucleus / ultrastructure
  • Disease Models, Animal
  • Masseter Muscle / pathology*
  • Mastication / physiology
  • Mice
  • Mice, Inbred mdx
  • Microscopy, Electron
  • Muscle Fibers, Skeletal / ultrastructure
  • Muscular Dystrophies / pathology*
  • Myofibrils / ultrastructure
  • Necrosis
  • Regeneration / physiology
  • Sucking Behavior / physiology
  • Weaning