Myostatin inhibition prevents skeletal muscle pathophysiology in Huntington's disease mice

Sci Rep. 2017 Oct 27;7(1):14275. doi: 10.1038/s41598-017-14290-3.

Abstract

Huntington's disease (HD) is an inherited neurodegenerative disorder of which skeletal muscle atrophy is a common feature, and multiple lines of evidence support a muscle-based pathophysiology in HD mouse models. Inhibition of myostatin signaling increases muscle mass, and therapeutic approaches based on this are in clinical development. We have used a soluble ActRIIB decoy receptor (ACVR2B/Fc) to test the effects of myostatin/activin A inhibition in the R6/2 mouse model of HD. Weekly administration from 5 to 11 weeks of age prevented body weight loss, skeletal muscle atrophy, muscle weakness, contractile abnormalities, the loss of functional motor units in EDL muscles and delayed end-stage disease. Inhibition of myostatin/activin A signaling activated transcriptional profiles to increase muscle mass in wild type and R6/2 mice but did little to modulate the extensive Huntington's disease-associated transcriptional dysregulation, consistent with treatment having little impact on HTT aggregation levels. Modalities that inhibit myostatin signaling are currently in clinical trials for a variety of indications, the outcomes of which will present the opportunity to assess the potential benefits of targeting this pathway in HD patients.

Publication types

  • Research Support, N.I.H., Extramural
  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Activin Receptors, Type II / pharmacology
  • Animals
  • Body Weight / drug effects
  • Hand Strength / physiology
  • Huntingtin Protein / chemistry
  • Huntington Disease / complications
  • Huntington Disease / pathology*
  • Huntington Disease / physiopathology
  • Male
  • Mice
  • Muscle, Skeletal / drug effects*
  • Muscle, Skeletal / pathology
  • Muscle, Skeletal / physiopathology*
  • Muscular Atrophy / complications
  • Muscular Atrophy / prevention & control
  • Myostatin / antagonists & inhibitors*
  • Protein Aggregates / drug effects

Substances

  • Huntingtin Protein
  • Myostatin
  • Protein Aggregates
  • Activin Receptors, Type II