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Updated: Feb 23, 2026
Isolation, Culture, and Transplantation of Muscle Satellite Cells
Published on: April 8, 2014
Changes in Mass and Performance in Rabbit Muscles after Muscle Damage with or without Transplantation of Primary
Ramzi Boubaker El Andalousi1, Paul-André Daussin1,2, Jean-Paul Micallef3
1UMR Différenciation cellulaire et Croissance, INRA, 2 Place Pierre Viala, 34060 Montpellier Cedex 1, France.
Abstract:
Changes in morphology, metabolism, myosin heavy chain gene expression, and functional performances in damaged rabbit muscles with or without transplantation of primary satellite cells were investigated. For this purpose, we damaged bilaterally the fast muscle tibialis anterior (TA) with either 1.5 or 2.6 ml cardiotoxin 10-5 M injections. Primary cultures of satellite cells were autotransplanted unilaterally 5 days after muscle degeneration. Two months postoperation, the masses of damaged TAs, with or without transplantation, were significantly larger than those of the controls. Furthermore, damaged transplanted muscles weighed significantly more than damaged muscles only. The increase in muscle mass was essentially due to increased fiber size. These results were independent of the quantity of cardiotoxin injected into the muscles. Maximal forces were similar in control and 2.6 ml damaged TAs with or without satellite cell transfer. In contrast, 1.5 ml damaged TAs showed a significant decrease in maximal forces that reached the level of controls after transplantation of satellite cells. Fatigue resistance was similar in control and 1.5 ml damaged TAs independently of satellite cell transfer. Fatigue index was significantly higher in 2.6 ml damaged muscles with or without cell transplantation. These changes could be explained in part by muscle metabolism, which shifted towards oxidative activities, and by gene expression of myosin heavy chain isoforms, which presented an increase in type IIa and a decrease in type I and IIb in all damaged muscles with or without cell transfer. Under our experimental conditions, these results show that muscle damage rather than satellite cell transplantation changes muscle metabolism, myosin heavy chain isoform gene expression, and, to a lesser extent, muscle contractile properties. In contrast, muscle weight and fiber size are increased both by muscle damage and by satellite cell transfer.
Insights
Muscle damage, not satellite cell transplantation, alters metabolism and gene expression in rabbit tibialis anterior (TA) muscles. However, both damage and cell transfer increase muscle weight and fiber size.
Area of Science:
- Muscle physiology
- Regenerative medicine
- Cell biology
Background:
- Satellite cells are crucial for muscle repair and regeneration.
- Understanding their role in damaged muscle is vital for therapeutic strategies.
- Investigating the impact of satellite cell transplantation on muscle recovery is an active research area.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the effects of satellite cell transplantation on damaged rabbit tibialis anterior (TA) muscles.
- To compare changes in muscle morphology, metabolism, gene expression, and function with and without cell transplantation.
- To determine whether muscle damage or satellite cell transplantation is the primary driver of observed changes.
Main Methods:
- Bilateral cardiotoxin-induced damage to rabbit TA muscles (1.5 or 2.6 ml).
- Unilateral autotransplantation of primary satellite cells 5 days post-degeneration.
- Assessment of muscle mass, fiber size, maximal force, fatigue resistance, metabolism, and myosin heavy chain gene expression 2 months post-operation.
Main Results:
- Both muscle damage and satellite cell transplantation increased muscle weight and fiber size.
- Maximal force decreased in 1.5 ml damaged muscles but recovered with transplantation; 2.6 ml damage showed no significant force change.
- Fatigue index increased in 2.6 ml damaged muscles, regardless of transplantation.
- Muscle metabolism shifted towards oxidative activities, and myosin heavy chain gene expression changed (increased IIa, decreased I and IIb) in all damaged muscles.
Conclusions:
- Muscle damage, rather than satellite cell transplantation, primarily alters muscle metabolism and myosin heavy chain gene expression.
- Satellite cell transplantation can restore maximal force in moderately damaged muscles.
- Both muscle damage and satellite cell transplantation contribute to increased muscle mass and fiber size.
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