Effects of a wheat germ-enriched diet on skeletal muscle regeneration

One of the common ingredients used in dietary supplements is wheat germ and its derivatives. In this study the effect of a wheat germ-enriched diet (WGED) on tissue repair was investigated in a model of skeletal muscle damage induced by the anesthetic bupivacaine. Rats were fed normal feedstuff or a WGED; injections of bupivacaine caused skeletal muscle necrosis followed by tissue regeneration. Morphometric analyses were performed on the muscles in order to quantify cell size and nuclei migration toward the cell periphery because these are indices of muscle regeneration. Statistical analysis shows that myoblast maturation, determined by nuclei migration to a peripheral position, was significantly delayed in rats fed wged compared to rats fed the control diet. No statistically significant differences were observed in the myocellular areas. This study provides evidence that dietary wheat germ can interfere with muscle regeneration.