1. Influence of β 2 -adrenergic selective agonist formoterol on the motor unit of a mouse model of a congenital myasthenic syndrome with complete VAChT deletion.
- Author
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Rossi L, Mota BI, Valadão PAC, Magalhães-Gomes MPS, Oliveira BS, Guatimosim S, Navegantes LCC, Miranda AS, Prado MAM, Prado VF, and Guatimosim C
- Abstract
Congenital Myasthenic Syndromes (CMS) are a set of genetic diseases that affect the neuromuscular transmission causing muscular weakness. The standard pharmacological treatment aims at ameliorating the myasthenic symptom by acetylcholinesterase inhibitors. Most patients respond well in the short and medium term, however, over time the beneficial effects rapidly fade, and the efficacy of the treatment diminishes. Increasing evidence shows that β
2 -adrenergic agonists can be a suitable choice for the treatment of neuromuscular disorders, including CMS, as they promote beneficial effects in the neuromuscular system. The exact mechanism on which they rely is not completely understood, although patients and animal models respond well to the treatment, especially over extended periods. Here, we report the use of the long-lasting specific β2 -adrenergic agonist formoterol in a myasthenic mouse model (mnVAChT-KD), featuring deletion of VAChT (Vesicular Acetylcholine Transporter) specifically in the α-motoneurons. Our findings demonstrate that formoterol treatment (300 μg/kg/day; sc) for 30 days increased the neuromuscular junction area, induced skeletal muscle hypertrophy and altered fibre type composition in myasthenic mice. Interestingly, β2 -adrenergic agonists have shown efficacy even in the absence of ACh (acetylcholine). Our data provide important evidence supporting the potential of β2 -adrenergic agonists in treating neuromuscular disorders of pre-synaptic origin and characterized by disruptions in nerve-muscle communication, through a direct and beneficial action within the motor unit., Competing Interests: Declaration of competing interest The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper., (Copyright © 2024. Published by Elsevier Ltd.)- Published
- 2024
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