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Sialic acid expression in human fetal skeletal muscle during limb early myogenesis

Mirca Marini1, Erica Sarchielli1, Giorgia Donata Zappoli Thyrion2

  • 1Department of Experimental and Clinical Medicine, Section of Anatomy and Histology, Careggi Hospital, University of Florence, Florence, Italy.

Histology and Histopathology
|May 10, 2017
PubMed

Insights

Changes in sialic acid (SA) expression, including monomeric and polymeric forms, correlate with human skeletal muscle development. These findings highlight SA

Area of Science:

  • Developmental Biology
  • Cell Biology
  • Biochemistry

Background:

  • Sialic acid (SA) expression, particularly polymeric SA, is linked to skeletal muscle differentiation and function in animal models.
  • Early fetal skeletal muscle development involves critical morphofunctional changes.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To investigate monomeric and polymeric SA expression in human fetal skeletal muscle during early development (9-12 weeks of gestation).
  • To correlate SA expression patterns with key developmental events like myogenesis and cell differentiation.

Main Methods:

  • Analysis of human fetal limb skeletal muscle specimens (9-12 weeks gestation).
  • Histological techniques: Hematoxylin-eosin staining, TUNEL assay.
  • Immunohistochemistry for connexin-43 (Cx43) and parvalbumin.
  • Lectin histochemistry for SA characterization (MAA, SNA, PNA, SBA, DBA) with enzymatic/chemical treatments.
  • Immunohistochemistry for polysialic acid (PSA) detection.

Main Results:

  • Apoptotic myotubes observed between 9-10.5 weeks gestation, resolving by 11 weeks.
  • Connexin-43 (Cx43) expression decreased significantly after 9.5 weeks.
  • Parvalbumin appeared in myotubes around 10 weeks.
  • Polysialic acid (PSA) was present from 9 to 10.5 weeks, then reduced.
  • Monomeric SA emerged around 10 weeks and increased, with acetylated SA appearing from 11 weeks.

Conclusions:

  • Dynamic changes in monomeric, polymeric, and acetylated SA expression occur during early human skeletal muscle development.
  • These SA expression patterns appear intrinsically linked to the crucial morphofunctional events of human skeletal muscle organogenesis.

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