Genome-wide association studies have reported that, amongst other microglial genes, variants in TREM2 can profoundly increase the incidence of developing Alzheimer’s disease (ad). We have investigated the role of TREM2 in primary microglial cultures from wild type mice by using siRNA to decrease Trem2 expression, and in parallel from knock-in mice heterozygous or homozygous for the Trem2 R47H ad risk variant. The prevailing phenotype of Trem2 R47H knock-in mice was decreased expression levels of Trem2 in microglia, which resulted in decreased density of microglia in the hippocampus. Overall, primary microglia with reduced Trem2 expression, either by siRNA or from the R47H knock-in mice, displayed a similar phenotype. Comparison of the effects of decreased Trem2 expression under conditions of LPS pro-inflammatory or IL-4 anti-inflammatory stimulation revealed the importance of Trem2 in driving a number of the genes up-regulated in the anti-inflammatory phenotype. RNA-seq analysis showed that IL-4 induced the expression of a programme of genes including Arg1 and Ap1b1 in microglia, which showed an attenuated response to IL-4 when Trem2 expression was decreased. Genes showing a similar expression profile to Arg1 were enriched for STAT6 transcription factor recognition elements in their promoter, and Trem2 knockdown decreased levels of STAT6. LPS-induced pro-inflammatory stimulation suppressed Trem2 expression, thus preventing TREM2’s anti-inflammatory drive. Given that anti-inflammatory signaling is associated with tissue repair, understanding the signaling mechanisms downstream of Trem2 in coordinating the pro- and anti-inflammatory balance of microglia, particularly mediating effects of the IL-4-regulated anti-inflammatory pathway, has important implications for fighting neurodegenerative disease.

The process of myogenesis gradually deteriorates as the skeletal muscle ages, contributing to muscle mass loss. The aim of this study is to investigate the effect of senescence/aging on skeletal myogenesis, in vitro. A model of multiple cell divisions of C2C12 myoblasts was used to replicate cell senescence. Control and aged myoblasts were investigated during myogenesis, i.e., at days 0, 2, and 6of differentiation. SA-β-gal activity and comet assay were used as markers of aging and DNA damage. Flow cytometry was performed to characterize potential differences in cell cycle between control and aged cells. Alterations in the mRNA and/or protein expression of myogenic regulatory factors (MRFs), IGF-1 isoforms, apoptotic, atrophy, inflammatory, metabolic and aging-related factors were evaluated. Compared with the control cells, aged myoblasts exhibited G0/G1 cell cycle arrest, DNA damage, increased SA-β-gal activity, and increased expression of aging-related factors p16 and p21 during differentiation. Moreover, aged myoblasts showed a reduction in the expression of MRFs and metabolic/anabolic factors, along with an increased expression of apoptotic, atrophy and inflammatory factors. A diminished differentiation capacity characterized the aged myoblasts which, in combination with the induction of apoptotic and atrophy factors, indicated a disrupted myogenic lineage in the senescent muscle cells.

Background/Aim: Mechanical loading of differentiated myoblasts in vitro may mimic loading patterns of skeletal muscle in vivo. However, it is still uncharacterized the loading conditions that can produce the most effective muscle cells' biological responses, in vitro. This study investigated the effects of different loading protocols on the expression of myogenic regulatory factors, anabolic, atrophy and pro-apoptotic factors in skeletal myotubes. Materials and Methods: C2C12 myoblasts were differentiated and underwent various stretching protocols by altering their elongation, frequency and duration, utilizing an in vitro cell tension system. The loading-induced expression changes of MyoD, Myogenin, MRF4, IGF-1 isoforms, Murf1, Atrogin, Myostatin, Foxo and Fuca were measured by Real Time-PCR. Results: Stretching by 2% elongation at 0.25 Hz for 12 h was overall the most effective in inducing beneficial responses. Conclusion: A low strain, low frequency intermediate duration stretching can most effectively upregulate myogenic/anabolic factors and down-regulate proapoptotic and atrophy genes in myotubes.

Background: During aging, muscle cell apoptosis increases and myogenesis gradually declines. The impaired myogenic and survival potential of the aged skeletal muscle can be ameliorated by its mechanical loading. However, the molecular responses of aged muscle cells to mechanical loading remain unclear. This study examined the effect of mechanical loading of aged, proliferating, and differentiated myoblasts on the gene expression and signaling responses associated with their myogenic lineage progression and survival. Methods: Control and aged C2C12 cells were cultured on elastic membranes and underwent passive stretching for 12 h at a low frequency (0.25 Hz) and different elongations, varying the strain on days 0 and 10 of myoblast differentiation. Activation of ERK1/2 and Akt, and the expression of focal adhesion kinase (FAK) and key myogenic regulatory factors (MRFs), MyoD and Myogenin, were determined by immunoblotting of the cell lysates derived from stretched and non-stretched myoblasts. Changes in the expression levels of the MRFs, muscle growth, atrophy, and pro-apoptotic factors in response to mechanical loading of the aged and control cells were quantified by real-time qRT-PCR. Results: Mechanical stretching applied on myoblasts resulted in the upregulation of FAK both in proliferating (day 0) and differentiated (day 10) cells, as well as in increased phosphorylation of ERK1/2 in both control and aged cells. Moreover, Akt activation and the expression of early differentiation factor MyoD increased significantly after stretching only in the control myoblasts, while the late differentiation factor Myogenin was upregulated in both the control and aged myoblasts. At the transcriptional level, mechanical loading of the proliferating myoblasts led to an increased expression of IGF-1 isoforms and MRFs, and to downregulation of muscle atrophy factors mainly in control cells, as well as in the upregulation of pro-apoptotic factors both in control and aged cells. In differentiated cells, mechanical loading resulted in an increased expression of the IGF-1Ea isoform and Myogenin, and in the downregulation of atrophy and pro-apoptotic factors in both the control and aged cells. Conclusions: This study revealed a diminished beneficial effect of mechanical loading on the myogenic and survival ability of the senescent muscle cells compared with the controls, with a low strain (2%) loading being most effective in upregulating myogenic/anabolic factors and downregulating atrophy and pro-apoptotic genes mainly in the aged myotubes.