Glycerol-induced injury as a new model of muscle regeneration.

Skeletal muscle regenerates efficiently following injuries and diseases. However, muscle regeneration is compromised in several conditions by adipocyte infiltration and excessive collagen deposition. Adipocyte infiltration is a characteristic feature of sarcopenia, diabetes, cachexia, muscular dystrophies and advanced cases of Duchenne muscular dystrophy (DMD), while excessive collagen deposition is a hallmark of muscular dystrophies and severe muscle injuries, such as lacerations, contusions and strains. Muscle adipogenesis and fibrosis are major causes of muscle weakness that impairs muscle function. Therefore, it is essential to develop an appropriate injury model to understand the mechanisms of adipocyte formation and fibrosis during muscle regeneration. This will help to advance our knowledge regarding the events that occur in dystrophic muscle diseases and develop innovative therapies for such pathological conditions. To date, several experimental injury models have been used to investigate skeletal muscle regeneration. Intramuscular injection of glycerol has been used as a new model to induce muscle injury and regeneration. It was reported that degenerative changes following glycerol-induced injury resemble those seen in DMD suggesting a similarity in their mechanism. The objective of the current review is to provide an overview of the current knowledge of using glycerol as a new model to induce muscle injury and regeneration.