INTRODUCTION: We injected embryonic stem cells into mouse tibialis anterior muscles subjected to botulinum toxin injections as a model for reversible neurogenic atrophy.METHODS: Muscles were exposed to botulinum toxin for 4 weeks and allowed to recover for up to 6 weeks. At the onset of recovery, a single muscle injection of embryonic stem cells was administered. The myofiber cross-sectional area, single twitch force, peak tetanic force, time-to-peak force, and half-relaxation time were determined.RESULTS: Although the stem cell injection did not affect the myofiber cross-sectional area gain in recovering muscles, most functional parameters improved significantly compared with those of recovering muscles that did not receive the stem cell injection.CONCLUSIONS: Muscle function recovery was accelerated by embryonic stem cell delivery in this durable neurogenic atrophy model. We conclude that stem cells should be considered a potential therapeutic tool for recovery after extreme skeletal muscle atrophy.
Animals Botulinum Toxins