Injection of FGF6 accelerates regeneration of the soleus muscle in adult mice

FGF6, a member of the fibroblast growth factor (FGF) family, accumulated almost exclusively in the myogenic lineage, supporting the finding that FGF6 could specifically regulate myogenesis. Using FGF6 (-/-) mutant mice, important functions in muscle regeneration have been proposed for FGF6 but remain largely controversial. Here, we examined the effect of a single injection of recombinant FGF6 (rhFGF6) on the regeneration of mouse soleus subjected to cardiotoxin injection, specifically looking for molecular and morphological phenotypes. The injection of rhFGF6 has two effects. First, there is an up-regulation of cyclin D1 mRNA, accounting for the regulating role of a high FGF6 concentration on proliferation, and second, differentiation markers such as CdkIs and MHC I and Tn I increase and cellular differentiation is accelerated. We also show a down-regulation of endogenous FGF6, acceleration of FGFR1 receptor expression and deceleration of the FGFR4 receptor expression, possibly accounting for biphasic effects of exogenous FGF6 on muscle regeneration.