Duchenne's muscular dystrophy involves a defective transsulfuration pathway activity.

TitleDuchenne's muscular dystrophy involves a defective transsulfuration pathway activity.
Publication TypeJournal Article
Year of Publication2021
AuthorsPanza E, Vellecco V, Iannotti FA, Paris D, Manzo OL, Smimmo M, Mitilini N, Boscaino A, de Dominicis G, Bucci M, Di Lorenzo A, Cirino G
JournalRedox Biol
Volume45
Pagination102040
Date Published2021 09
ISSN2213-2317
KeywordsAnimals, Cystathionine gamma-Lyase, Mice, Mice, Inbred C57BL, Mice, Inbred mdx, Muscle, Skeletal, Muscular Dystrophy, Duchenne
Abstract

Duchenne muscular dystrophy (DMD) is the most frequent X chromosome-linked disease caused by mutations in the gene encoding for dystrophin, leading to progressive and unstoppable degeneration of skeletal muscle tissues. Despite recent advances in the understanding of the molecular processes involved in the pathogenesis of DMD, there is still no cure. In this study, we aim at investigating the potential involvement of the transsulfuration pathway (TSP), and its by-end product namely hydrogen sulfide (HS), in primary human myoblasts isolated from DMD donors and skeletal muscles of dystrophic (mdx) mice. In myoblasts of DMD donors, we demonstrate that the expression of key genes regulating the HS production and TSP activity, including cystathionine γ lyase (CSE), cystathionine beta-synthase (CBS), 3 mercaptopyruvate sulfurtransferase (3-MST), cysteine dioxygenase (CDO), cysteine sulfonic acid decarboxylase (CSAD), glutathione synthase (GS) and γ -glutamylcysteine synthetase (γ-GCS) is reduced. Starting from these findings, using Nuclear Magnetic Resonance (NMR) and quantitative Polymerase Chain Reaction (qPCR) we show that the levels of TSP-related metabolites such as methionine, glycine, glutathione, glutamate and taurine, as well as the expression levels of the aforementioned TSP related genes, are significantly reduced in skeletal muscles of mdx mice compared to healthy controls, at both an early (7 weeks) and overt (17 weeks) stage of the disease. Importantly, the treatment with sodium hydrosulfide (NaHS), a commonly used HS donor, fully recovers the impaired locomotor activity in both 7 and 17 old mdx mice. This is an effect attributable to the reduced expression of pro-inflammatory markers and restoration of autophagy in skeletal muscle tissues. In conclusion, our study uncovers a defective TSP pathway activity in DMD and highlights the role of HS-donors for novel and safe adjuvant therapy to treat symptoms of DMD.

DOI10.1016/j.redox.2021.102040
Alternate JournalRedox Biol
PubMed ID34174560
PubMed Central IDPMC8246642
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