RESUMO
We investigated the role of ß2-adrenoceptors in the connective tissue remodeling of regenerating muscles from ß2-adrenoceptor knockout (ß2KO) mice. Tibialis anterior muscles from ß2KO mice were cryolesioned and analyzed after 3, 10, and 21 days. Regenerating muscles from ß2KO mice showed a significant increase in the area density of the connective tissue and in the amount of collagen at 10 days compared with wild-type (WT) mice. A greater increase occurred in the expression levels of collagen I, III, and IV in regenerating muscles from ß2KO mice evaluated at 10 days compared with WT mice; this increase continued at 21 days, except for collagen III. Matrix metalloproteinase (MMP-2) activity increased to a similar extent in regenerating muscles from both ß2KO and WT mice at 3 and 10 days. This was also the case for MMP-9 activity in regenerating muscles from both ß2KO and WT mice at 3 days; however, at 10 days post-cryolesion, this activity returned to baseline levels only in WT mice. MMP-3 activity was unaltered in regenerating muscles at 10 days. mRNA levels of tumor necrosis factor-α increased in regenerating muscles from WT and ß2KO mice at 3 days and, at 10 days post-cryolesion, returned to baseline only in WT mice. mRNA levels of interleukin-6 increased in muscles from WT mice at 3 days post-cryolesion and returned to baseline at 10 days post-cryolesion but were unchanged in ß2KO mice. Our results suggest that the ß2-adrenoceptor contributes to collagen remodeling during muscle regeneration by decreasing MMP-9 activity.