Preservation of masseter muscle until the end stage in the SOD1G93A mouse model for ALS

Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) progressively impairs motor neurons, leading to muscle weakness and loss of voluntary muscle control. This study compared the effects of SOD1 mutation on masticatory and limb muscles from disease onset to death in ALS model mice. Notably, limb muscles begin to atrophy soon after ALS-like phenotype appear, whereas masticatory muscles maintain their volume and function in later stages. Our analysis showed that, unlike limb muscles, masticatory muscles retain their normal structure and cell makeup throughout most of the disease course. We found an increase in the number of muscle satellite cells (SCs), which are essential for muscle repair, in masticatory muscles. In addition, we observed no reduction in the number of muscle nuclei and no muscle fibre-type switching in masticatory muscles. This indicates that masticatory muscles have a higher resistance to ALS-related damage than limb muscles, likely because of differences in cell composition and repair mechanisms. Understanding why masticatory muscles are less affected by ALS could lead to the development of new treatments. This study highlights the importance of studying different muscle groups in ALS to clarify disease aetiology and mechanisms.