Telocytes in human fetal skeletal muscle interstitium during early myogenesis

A new peculiar stromal cell type called telocyte (TC)/CD34-positive stromal cell (i.e. cell with distinctive prolongations named telopodes) has recently been described in various tissues and organs, including the adult skeletal muscle interstitium of mammals. By forming a resident stromal three-dimensional network, TCs have been suggested to participate in different physiological processes within the skeletal muscle tissue, including homeostasis maintenance, intercellular signaling, tissue regeneration/repair and angiogenesis. Since a continuous interplay between the stromal compartment and skeletal muscle fibers seems to take place from organogenesis to aging, the present study was undertaken to investigate for the first time the presence of TCs in the human skeletal muscle during early myogenesis. In particular, we describe the morphological distribution of TCs in human fetal lower limb skeletal muscle during early stages of myogenesis (9–12 weeks of gestation). TCs were studied on tissue sections subjected to immunoperoxidase-based immunohistochemistry for CD34. Double immunofluorescence was further performed to unequivocally differentiate TCs (CD34-positive/CD31-negative) from vascular endothelial cells (CD34-positive/CD31-positive). Our findings provide evidence that stromal cells with typical morphological features and immunophenotype of TCs are present in the human skeletal muscle during early myogenesis, revealing differences in either CD34 immunopositivity or TC numbers among different gestation ages. Specifically, few TCs weakly positive for CD34 were found between 9 and 9.5 weeks. From 10 to 11.5 weeks, TCs were more numerous and strongly reactive and their telopodes formed a reticular network in close relationship with blood vessels and primary and secondary myotubes undergoing separation. On the contrary, a strong reduction in the number and immunopositivity of TCs was observed in fetal muscle sections from 12 weeks of gestation, where mature myotubes were evident. The muscle stroma showed parallel changes in amount, density and organization from 9 to 12 weeks. Moreover, blood vessels appeared particularly numerous between 10 and 11.5 weeks. Taken together, our findings suggest that TCs might play a fundamental role in the early myogenetic period, possibly guiding tissue organization and compartmentalization, as well as angiogenesis and maturation of myotubes.