Inhibition of FLT1 ameliorates muscular dystrophy phenotype by increased vasculature in a mouse model of Duchenne muscular dystrophy

PLoS Genet. 2019 Dec 26;15(12):e1008468. doi: 10.1371/journal.pgen.1008468. eCollection 2019 Dec.

Abstract

Duchenne muscular dystrophy (DMD) is an X-linked recessive genetic disease in which the dystrophin coding for a membrane stabilizing protein is mutated. Recently, the vasculature has also shown to be perturbed in DMD and DMD model mdx mice. Recent DMD transcriptomics revealed the defects were correlated to a vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) signaling pathway. To reveal the relationship between DMD and VEGF signaling, mdx mice were crossed with constitutive (CAGCreERTM:Flt1LoxP/LoxP) and endothelial cell-specific conditional gene knockout mice (Cdh5CreERT2:Flt1LoxP/LoxP) for Flt1 (VEGFR1) which is a decoy receptor for VEGF. Here, we showed that while constitutive deletion of Flt1 is detrimental to the skeletal muscle function, endothelial cell-specific Flt1 deletion resulted in increased vascular density, increased satellite cell number and improvement in the DMD-associated phenotype in the mdx mice. These decreases in pathology, including improved muscle histology and function, were recapitulated in mdx mice given anti-FLT1 peptides or monoclonal antibodies, which blocked VEGF-FLT1 binding. The histological and functional improvement of dystrophic muscle by FLT1 blockade provides a novel pharmacological strategy for the potential treatment of DMD.

Publication types

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

MeSH terms

  • Animals
  • Antibodies, Monoclonal / administration & dosage*
  • Antibodies, Monoclonal / pharmacology
  • Disease Models, Animal
  • Endothelial Cells / metabolism
  • Gene Knockout Techniques
  • Male
  • Mice
  • Mice, Inbred mdx
  • Muscle, Skeletal / metabolism
  • Muscle, Skeletal / physiopathology
  • Muscular Dystrophy, Duchenne / drug therapy*
  • Muscular Dystrophy, Duchenne / genetics
  • Muscular Dystrophy, Duchenne / metabolism
  • Muscular Dystrophy, Duchenne / physiopathology
  • Organ Specificity
  • Peptides / administration & dosage*
  • Peptides / pharmacology
  • Signal Transduction / drug effects
  • Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor A / metabolism*
  • Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor Receptor-1 / antagonists & inhibitors*
  • Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor Receptor-1 / genetics

Substances

  • Antibodies, Monoclonal
  • Peptides
  • Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor A
  • vascular endothelial growth factor A, mouse
  • FLT1 protein, human
  • Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor Receptor-1