Expression of a cell death marker (clusterin) in muscle target fibers

Oliveira, Acary Souza Bulle; Corbo, Massimo; Duigou, Greg; Gabbai, Alberto Alain; Hays, Arthur P.

doi:10.1590/S0004-282X1993000300014

Abstracts

We report, for the first time, the expression of immunoractivity to clusterin in skeletal muscle. Clusterin, a protein probably related to the process of programmed cell death (apoptosis), was specifically very highly expressed in target fibers. All target fibers found in 50 muscle biopsy samples from a variety of neuromuscular disorders expressed a high concentration of clusterin in the middle of the targets. Clusterin was not expressed in any targetoid fibers or cores. Acute denervation, where targets are mostly seen, may be the beginning of apoptosis. Hence our findings support the concept that targets are harbingers of acute denervation.

skeletal muscle; target; clusterin

Descrevemos, pela primeira vez, a expressão de imunorreatividade para clusterina em músculo esquelético. Clusterina, proteína relacionada ao processo de morte celular programada (apoptosis), encontrou-se especificamente muito aumentada em fibras musculares com «target» (FT). Todas as FT encontradas em 50 biópsias musculares de pacientes com diferentes doenças neuromusculares apresentaram alta concentração de clusterina no centro das FT. Clusterina não esteve semelhantemente aumentada em fibras com «targetóide» ou com «core». A alta expressão de clusterina em «targets» indica que FT podem ser o início de apoptosis e que há íntima relação entre FT e desnervação aguda.

músculo esquelético; fibras com «target»; clusterina

Acary Souza Bulle Oliveira^I; Massimo Corbo^II; Greg Duigou^III; Alberto Alain Gabbai^I; Arthur P. Hays^II

^IDepartment of Neurology, Escola Paulista de Medicina, São Paulo

^IIDivision of Neuropathology

^IIIDepartment of Neurosurgery, College of Physicians and Surgeons of Columbia University, New York

SUMMARY

We report, for the first time, the expression of immunoractivity to clusterin in skeletal muscle. Clusterin, a protein probably related to the process of programmed cell death (apoptosis), was specifically very highly expressed in target fibers. All target fibers found in 50 muscle biopsy samples from a variety of neuromuscular disorders expressed a high concentration of clusterin in the middle of the targets. Clusterin was not expressed in any targetoid fibers or cores. Acute denervation, where targets are mostly seen, may be the beginning of apoptosis. Hence our findings support the concept that targets are harbingers of acute denervation.

Key words: skeletal muscle, target, clusterin.

RESUMO

Descrevemos, pela primeira vez, a expressão de imunorreatividade para clusterina em músculo esquelético. Clusterina, proteína relacionada ao processo de morte celular programada (apoptosis), encontrou-se especificamente muito aumentada em fibras musculares com «target» (FT). Todas as FT encontradas em 50 biópsias musculares de pacientes com diferentes doenças neuromusculares apresentaram alta concentração de clusterina no centro das FT. Clusterina não esteve semelhantemente aumentada em fibras com «targetóide» ou com «core». A alta expressão de clusterina em «targets» indica que FT podem ser o início de apoptosis e que há íntima relação entre FT e desnervação aguda.

Palavras-chave: músculo esquelético, fibras com «target», clusterina.

Full text available only in PDF format.

Texto completo disponível apenas em PDF.

Aceite: 23-janeiro-1993.

Dr. Acary S. B. Oliveira Disciplina de Neurologia, Escola Paulista de Medicina - Rua Botucatu, 762 - 04023-900 São Paulo SP - Brasil.

Dr. Acary S. B. Oliveira was supported by the Brazilian Research Council (CNPq)

1. Bandyk MG, Sawazuk IS, Olsson CA, Katz AE, Buttyan R. Characterization of the products of a gene expressed during androgen-programmed cell death and their potential use as a marker of urogenital injury. J Urol 1990, 143:407-412.
2. Buttyan R, Olsson CA, Pintar J, Chang C, Bandyk M, NG P, Sawazuck IS. Induction of the TRPM-2 gene in cells undergoing programmed cell death. Molec Cell Biol 1989, 9:3473-3481.
3. Cheng CY, Mathur PP, Grima J. Structural analysis of clusterin and its subunits in ram rete tests fluid. Biochemistry 1988, 27:4079-4088.
4. Dubowitz V. Pathology of experimentally re-innervated skeletal muscle. J Neurol Neurosurg Psychiatry 1967, 30:99-110.
5. Dubowitz V, Brooke MH. Muscle biopsy: a modern approach. Philadelphia: W.B. Saunders, 1973.
6. Engel WK. Muscle target fibres: a newly recognized sign of denervation. Nature 1961, 191:389.
7. Kovarsky J, Schochet SS, McCorcnick WF. The significance of target fibers: a clinico-pathologic review of 100 patients with neurogenic atrophy. Am J Clin Pathol 1973, 59: 790-797.
8. Schmitt HP, Volk B. The relationship between target, targetoid, and targetoid/core fibers in severe neurogenic muscular atrophy. J Neurol 1975, 210:167-181.
9. Sensibar JA, Griswold MD, Sylvester SR, Buttyan R, Bardin CW, Cheng CY, Dudek S, Lee C. Prostatic ductal system in rats: regional variation in localization of an androgen-repressed gene product, sulfated glycoprotein-2. Endocrinology 1991, 128:2091-2102.
10. Tomanaga M, Sluga E. Zur Ultrastruktur des «Target-fasern». Virchows Arch Pathol Anat Physiol 1969, 348:89.

Expression of a cell death marker (clusterin) in muscle target fibers

Expressão de marcador de morte celular programada (apoptosis) em fibras musculares com «target»

Publication Dates

Publication in this collection
19 Jan 2011
Date of issue
Sept 1993

This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International License.

[1] 1. Bandyk MG, Sawazuk IS, Olsson CA, Katz AE, Buttyan R. Characterization of the products of a gene expressed during androgen-programmed cell death and their potential use as a marker of urogenital injury. J Urol 1990, 143:407-412.

[2] 2. Buttyan R, Olsson CA, Pintar J, Chang C, Bandyk M, NG P, Sawazuck IS. Induction of the TRPM-2 gene in cells undergoing programmed cell death. Molec Cell Biol 1989, 9:3473-3481.

[3] 3. Cheng CY, Mathur PP, Grima J. Structural analysis of clusterin and its subunits in ram rete tests fluid. Biochemistry 1988, 27:4079-4088.

[4] 4. Dubowitz V. Pathology of experimentally re-innervated skeletal muscle. J Neurol Neurosurg Psychiatry 1967, 30:99-110.

[5] 5. Dubowitz V, Brooke MH. Muscle biopsy: a modern approach. Philadelphia: W.B. Saunders, 1973.

[6] 6. Engel WK. Muscle target fibres: a newly recognized sign of denervation. Nature 1961, 191:389.

[7] 7. Kovarsky J, Schochet SS, McCorcnick WF. The significance of target fibers: a clinico-pathologic review of 100 patients with neurogenic atrophy. Am J Clin Pathol 1973, 59: 790-797.

[8] 8. Schmitt HP, Volk B. The relationship between target, targetoid, and targetoid/core fibers in severe neurogenic muscular atrophy. J Neurol 1975, 210:167-181.

[9] 9. Sensibar JA, Griswold MD, Sylvester SR, Buttyan R, Bardin CW, Cheng CY, Dudek S, Lee C. Prostatic ductal system in rats: regional variation in localization of an androgen-repressed gene product, sulfated glycoprotein-2. Endocrinology 1991, 128:2091-2102.

[10] 10. Tomanaga M, Sluga E. Zur Ultrastruktur des «Target-fasern». Virchows Arch Pathol Anat Physiol 1969, 348:89.