Immunolabelling Myofiber Degeneration in Muscle Biopsies

Summary

Described here is a protocol for direct immunolabelling of necrotic myofibers in muscle cryosections. Necrotic cells are permeable to serum proteins, including immunoglobulin G (IgG). Revealing the uptake of IgG by myofibers allows the identification and quantification of myofibers that undergo necrosis regardless of muscle condition.

Abstract

The necrosis of muscle fibres (myonecrosis) plays a central role in the pathogenesis of several muscle conditions, including muscular dystrophies. Therapeutic options addressing the causes of muscular dystrophy pathogenesis are expected to alleviate muscle degeneration. Therefore, a method to assay and quantify the extent of cell death in muscle biopsies is needed. Conventional methods to observe myofiber degeneration in situ are either poorly quantitative or rely on the injection of vital dyes. In this article, an immunofluorescence protocol is described that stains necrotic myofibers by targeting immunoglobulin G (IgG) uptake by myofibers. The IgG uptake method is based on cell features characterizing the necrotic demise, including 1) the loss of plasma membrane integrity with the release of damage-associated molecular patterns and 2) the uptake of plasmatic proteins. In murine cross-sections, the co-immunolabelling of myofibers, extracellular matrix proteins, and mouse IgG allows clean and straightforward identification of myofibers with necrotic fate. This simple method is suitable for quantitative analysis and applicable to all species, including human samples, and does not require the injection of vital dye. The staining of necrotic myofibers by IgG uptake can also be paired with other co-immunolabelling.

Introduction

Striated skeletal muscle mainly consists of muscle fibres (myofibers), which are responsible for the characteristic voluntary contractile function. These cells are multinucleated, post-mitotic structures that support mechanical stress occurring during contraction. Structural stability of the myofiber membrane (sarcolemma) and its extracellular matrix are crucial for tissue homeostasis. Satellite cells comprise the main muscle progenitor population in mature skeletal muscle and exist in a quiescent state in healthy muscles. Following myofiber death, muscle regeneration is supported by satellite cells following a myogenic program that involves satellite cell activation,....

Protocol

Experiments were performed in accordance with the French and European Community legislation (license number 11-00010).

1. Tragacanth gum preparation

1. In a glass beaker, dissolve 6 g of tragacanth powder in 100 mL of deionized water. Cover with foil and leave for at least 3 h. Occasionally stir manually with a metal spatula as the mixture rapidly becomes viscous.
2. Leave the tragacanth mixture at 60 °C overnight in a water bath or in the oven. Carefully seal the beaker to avoid drying. Stir at least once before aliquoting.
3. Aliquot and store at 4 °C for up to 2 weeks.

2. ....

Results

Myofibers are surrounded by a laminin-containing extracellular matrix. Red staining delimits myofibers periphery and allows for their identification. IgG is shown in green. Nuclei are stained with DAPI and are found blue under the microscope. However, nuclei are shown in white here (Figure 1). A weak IgG immunoreactivity is expected in the extracellular compartment, which can be increased in case of inflammation. Green staining within the myofibers reflects t.......

Discussion

Myofiber necrosis is a common consequence of traumatic exercise in normal muscles. It is well-compensated by a powerful regenerative capacity of the local muscle progenitors. However, in several muscle conditions such as in MDs, the regenerative capacity of satellite cells is compromised by chronic myonecrosis and excessive fibrosis. Recent findings show that muscle fibres can die by necroptosis, a regulated form of necrosis. More specifically, the inhibition of necroptosis may become a new therapeutic strategy for DMD t.......

Materials

List of materials used in this article

Name	Company	Catalog Number	Comments
Circular cork disks	Pyramid Innovation	R30001-E	Don't forget to clearly label the cork so that the the ID of the sample can be determined after freezing
Cryostat	Leica	CM3050 sn34	Muscle cryosectionning should be performed between -20 and -25°C. Thickness:7-10 micrometers.
Dakopen	Dako	S2002	A hydrophobic barrier around the muscle sections. It prevents the dispertion of medium during incubation
Forceps	FST	91117-10	/
Goat anti-Mouse IgG (H+L) antibody, Alexa Fluor Plus 488	ThermoFischer Scientific	A-11029	Dilution: 1/500
Goat anti-Rabbit IgG (H+L) antibody Alexa Fluor Plus 594	ThermoFischer Scientific	A32740	Dilution: 1/500
Goat serum	Jackson ImmunoResearch	005-000-121	At the blocking step, use 10% dilution in PBS. For antibodies incubation, use 5% dilution in PBS
Isopentane	Sigma Aldrich	78-78-4	Freezing medium. Should be cooled down in a beaker placed in liquid nitrogen.
mdx mouse	Jackson Laboratory	C57BL/10ScSn-Dmdmdx/J	Mdx mice are mutated for the dystrophin gene. From three weeks of age, muscles are characterized by chronic degeneration
Microscope	Zeiss	Imager.D1	/
OCT	Cellpath	KMA-0100-00A	Embedding matrix
PFA (Paraformaldehyde)	ThermoFischer Scientific	28908	Used for fixing cryosection (2% or 4% PFA can be used)
PBS	Eurobio	CS3PBS00-01	Dilution medium for immunolabeling
Precision scisors	FST	fst 14001-12 and fst 14001-14	Used for the muscle collection
Rabbit antibody to mouse pan-Laminin	Sigma Aldrich	L9393	Dilution: 1/1000
Tragacanth	Sigma Aldrich	G1128	Aliquots to keep at +4°C