Endogenous conversion of n-6 to n-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids facilitates the repair of cardiotoxin-induced skeletal muscle injury in mice.

In this study, we investigated the beneficial effects of high endogenous levels of n-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFAs) on skeletal muscle repair and regeneration using a mouse cardiotoxin (CTX, 20 μM/200 μL) -induced gastrocnemius muscle injury model. Transgenic mice expressing the gene, encoding n-3 fatty acid desaturase, showed higher n-3 PUFA levels and lower n-6/n-3 PUFA ratios in gastrocnemius muscle tissues. Hematoxylin and eosin and Masson's trichrome staining of gastrocnemius sections revealed increased muscle fiber size and reduced fibrosis in mice on days 7 and 14 after CTX injections. Gastrocnemius muscle tissues from mice showed reduced inflammatory responses and increased muscle fiber regeneration reflecting enhanced activation of satellite cells on day 3 after cardiotoxin injections. Gastrocnemius muscle tissues from cardiotoxin-treated mice showed reduced levels of pro-apoptotic proteins (Caspase 3 and Bax) and increased levels of anti-apoptotic proteins (Bcl-2 and Survivin). Moreover, eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA) reduced the incidence of apoptosis among cardiotoxin-treated C2C12 mouse myoblasts. These findings demonstrate that higher endogenous n-3 PUFA levels in mice enhances skeletal muscle repair and regeneration following cardiotoxin-induced injury.