The cellular components of the satellite cell niche participate in the regulation of skeletal muscle regeneration. Beside myogenic cells at different developmental stages, this niche is formed by cells of the immune system, the interstitial connective tissue and the vascular ystem. Unambiguous determination of the origin of these cell types could contribute to optimization of the cell-based therapy of skeletal muscle disorders. In our work, we intravenously transplanted mouse GFP+ unseparated bone marrow cells into whole-body lethally irradiated immunocom-petent mice four weeks before cardiotoxin-induced injury of the recipients’ skeletal muscles. Seven and 28 days after the toxin injection, the injured regenerating and contralateral intact muscles were examined for identification of GFP+ bone marrow-derived cells by direct fluorescence, protein immunohistochemistry and immunogold transmission electron microscopy. In both the intact and injured muscles, GFP positivity was determined in immune cells, mainly in macrophages, and in interstitial spindle-shaped cells. Moreover, in the injured muscles, rare GFP+ endothelial cells of the blood vessels and newly formed myotubes and muscle fibres were present. Our results confirmed the ability of bone marrow-derived cells to contribute to the cellular component of the satellite cell niche in the intact and regenerating skeletal muscle. These cells originated not only from haematopoietic stem cells, but obviously also from other stem or progenitor cells residing in the bone marrow, such as multipotent mesenchymal stromal cells and endothelial progenitors. and Corresponding author: Dana Čížková
The aim of this work was to compare the effect of gamma radiation with sub-low dose-rate 1.8 mGy/min (SLDR), low dose-rate 3.9 mGy/min (LDR) and high dose-rate 0.6 Gy/min (HDR) on human leukemic cell lines with differing p53 status (HL-60, p53 deficient and MOLT-4, p53 wild) and to elucidate the importance of G2/M phase cell cycle arrest during irradiation. Radiosensitivity of HL-60 and MOLT-4 cells was determined by test of clonogenity. Decrease of dose-rate had no effect on radiosensitivity of MOLT-4 cells (D0 for HDR 0.87 Gy, for LDR 0.78 Gy and for SLDR 0.70 Gy). In contrast, a significant increase of radioresistance after LDR irradiation was observed for p53 negative HL-60 cells (D0 for HDR 2.20 Gy and for LDR 3.74 Gy). After an additional decrease of dose-rate (SLDR) D0 value (2.92 Gy) was not significantly different from HDR irradiation. Considering the fact that during HDR the cells are irradiated in all phases of the cell cycle and during LDR mainly in the G2 phase, we have been unable to prove that the G2 phase is the most radiosensitive phase of the cell cycle of HL-60 cells. On the contrary, irradiation of cells in this phase induced damage reparation and increased radioresistance. When the dose-rate was lowered, approximately to 1.8 mGy/min, an opposite effect was detected, i.e. D0 value decreased to 2.9 Gy. We have proved that during SLDR at first (dose up to 2.5 Gy) the cells accumulated in G2 phase, but then they entered mitosis or, if the cell damage was not sufficiently repaired, the cells entered apoptosis. The entry into mitosis has a radiosensibilizing effect.