MeCP2 Affects Skeletal Muscle Growth and Morphology through Non Cell-Autonomous Mechanisms
Fig 1
Mecp2-/y mice exhibit skeletal muscle disorganization and atrophy.
(A) Representative pictures of TA and brain of 6 weeks old WT and Mecp2-/y mice. Scale bars = 0,5 mm. (B) Measures of organ weights are indicated as means ± s.e.m. Unpaired t-test was performed and P values are shown. Table also reports the percentage of reduction observed in Mecp2-/y mice (n≥6), calculated considering WT values as 100%. (C) Representative TA and gastrocnemius (Gast) muscle sections stained with H&E. Scale bar = 50 μm. (D) Representative TA and gastrocnemius muscle sections immunostained for Laminin. Scale bar = 50 μm. (E) CSA analysis of single muscle fibers, showing the abundance of smaller fibers in Mecp2-/y mice compared to WT mice. At least 150 myofibers were counted for each animal/muscle, n = 3 per genotype. Left panel: quantification of mean CSA ± s.e.m. Significance is calculated with t test (**, P value: 0.0059 for TA; **, P value: 0.0089 for Gast). Central and right panels: size distribution of single muscle fibers. x-Axis = fiber size (μm2); y-Axis = percentage of fibers. (F) TA sections (n = 3) were stained with Sirius Red and the total amount of collagen was quantified with ImageJ (G); ns, P value: 0.5593. (H) Collagen I mRNA expression was assessed in WT and Mecp2-/y gastrocnemius (n = 3). Significance is calculated with t test (ns, P value: 0.1126).