Dermal fibroblasts participate in the formation of new muscle fibres when implanted into regenerating normal mouse muscle.

Both in vitro and in vivo studies have described the conversion of fibroblasts to myogenesis when in the presence of dysfunctional myogenic cells. Myogenic conversion of fibroblasts subjected to a normal, as opposed to a diseased muscle environment has only been reported in vitro. The primary aim of this work was to determine if fibroblasts can convert to a myogenic lineage and contribute to new fibre formation when implanted into the regenerating muscle of a normal mouse. Dermal fibroblasts were prepared from neonatal mouse skin and labelled prior to implantation with the fluorescent nuclear marker 4',6-diamidino-2-phenylindole (DAPI). Cells were implanted into muscles of host mice that had been subjected to either cold/crush or minced muscle injury. Some host muscles were x-irradiated to deplete the muscle of endogenous muscle precursor cells. Muscles were removed at 3 wk postimplantation and analysed both histologically and for the presence of DAPI labelled nuclei. Fibres containing DAPI labelled central nuclei indicated that the implanted cells had participated in the regenerative process. Mouse dermal fibroblasts therefore do contribute to muscle fibre formation in regenerating normal mouse muscle but the extent of their contribution is dependent on the nature of the trauma induced in the host muscle. The study also showed that regeneration was more successful in muscles which had not been irradiated, which is contrary to the previous studies where dermal fibroblasts were introduced into myopathic mouse muscle.