The Synergistic Effect of Treadmill Running on Stem-Cell Transplantation to Heal Injured Skeletal Muscle

Muscle-derived stem-cell (MDSC) transplantation presents a promising method for the treatment of muscle injuries. This study investigated the ability of exercise to enhance MDSC transplantation into the injured muscle. Mice were divided into four groups: contusion + phosphate-buffered saline (C + PBS; n = 14 muscles), C + MDSC transplantation (n = 12 muscles), C + PBS + treadmill running (C + PBS + TM; n = 17 muscles), and C + MDSC + TM (n 13 muscles). One day after injury, the TM groups began running for 1 or 5 weeks. Two days after injury, muscles of C + MDSC and C + MDSC + TM groups were injected with MDSCs. One or 5 weeks later, the number and differentiation of transplanted MDSCs, myofiber regeneration, collagen I formation, and vascularity were assessed histologically. In vitro, MDSCs were subjected to mechanical stimulation, and growth kinetics were quantified. In vitro, mechanical stimulation decreased the MDSC population doubling time (18.6 +/- 1.6 h) and cell division time (10.9 +/- 0.7 h), compared with the controls (population doubling time: 23.0 +/- 3.4 h; cell division time: 13.3 +/- 1.1 h) (p - 0.01 and 0.03, respectively). In vivo, 5 weeks of TM increased the myogenic contribution of transplanted MDSCs, compared with the controls (p - 0.02). C + MDSC, C + PBS + TM, and C + MDSC + TM demonstrated decreased fibrosis at 5 weeks, compared with the C + PBS controls (p - 0.00, p - 0.03, and p - 0.02, respectively). Results suggest that the mechanical stimulation favors MDSC proliferation, both in vitro and in vivo, and that exercise enhances MDSC transplantation after injury.