Fig. 8

Cross-sections of muscle fibers displaying an abnormal expression of desmin protein and corresponding mRNA in OSA patients (A–I). The sections are stained for the desmin protein (DES, green), desmin mRNA (red), and DAPI (nuclei blue). Panel A shows a fiber with disorganized DES, very low expression of desmin mRNA, and an internal nuclei (arrow). Ringed fibers showing different patterns of maldistributed DES and corresponding mRNA are shown in panels B and C. Panel D shows a fiber with very weak staining for DES and a focal subsarcolemmal area filled with desmin mRNA (arrow). Panels E and F show a slender fiber-like structure (arrows) in close connection with a large fiber lacking or having a low amount of DES (asterisks). Note the very low expression of desmin mRNA in the slender fiber in panel E and very dense expression in the fiber in panel F. Panels G and H shows split fibers (arrows) almost entirely lacking both DES and its mRNA. Note in panel H that the fiber has an extension filled with desmin mRNA (arrowhead). Panel I show a fiber having a large extension lacking DES with a small subsarcolemmal accumulation of desmin mRNA (arrow). Scale bar=25μm