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[Human myopathy and animal muscular dystrophy].

Two hereditary muscular dystrophies similar to human progressive muscular dystrophy (P.M.D. Duchenne type) have been isolated in animals, one in mouse, the other in chicken. The decrease in the activity of glycogenolytic enzymes is similar to that observed in denervated muscle. Isozymic fetal types for several muscular enzymes have been observed as well in chicken as in man, but this fetal type may also be found in neurogenic atrophy. The release in circulation of muscle enzymes seems more specific. But the origin of the genetic lesion is still unknown. We describe here the three different theories about this problem: i.e. neurogenic, vascular, or myogenic. This last theory implies a trouble of membrane permeability.

Adenosine Triphosphate

Muscular dystrophy of mink: a new animal model.

Muscular dystrophies comprise an important group of inherited disorders of man. Although the disease has been studied extensively, little is known about the underlying primary pathomechanisms. Consequently, treatment of patients is difficult and prognosis is poor. An animal model of muscular dystrophy is a useful research tool for approaching the basic problems of pathogenesis in muscle diseases. An inherited progressive muscular dystrophy of mink which resembles the amyotonic forms of human muscular dystrophy is currently under study. Clinically, the earliest sign is progressive muscular weakness and atrophy. Muscle enzyme activities in serum are usually elevated to pathologic levels. Urinary creatine/creatinine ratio is elevated. Pathologic changes are limited to skeletal muscle and are typical of those seen in amyotonic forms of human muscular dystrophy. These changes include variation in diameter size of muscle fibers, centralized nuclei, floccular and hyaline degeneration of scattered muscle fibers, increase in connective tissue in endomysial and perimysial areas, and regenerative attempts. Both type I and type II muscle fibers are involved in the disease process. Genetic studies indicate an autosomal recessive mode of inheritance. Although the primary defect in muscular dystrophy is traditionally thought to reside in skeletal muscle, recent studies have produced theories of primary involvement of other tissues and organ systems. These theories are presented and relationships to the traditional theory are discussed.

Animals

Altered tissue carnitine levels in animals with hereditary muscular dystrophy.

Low levels of muscle carnitine have been found in patients with Duchenne dystrophy, a case possibly of Becker dystrophy, and limb-girdle syndrome as well as in patients with the recently described muscle carnitine deficiency syndrome. Tissues of the mouse, hamster, and chicken were analyzed to determine whether tissue carnitine levels were altered in the animal models of muscular dystrophy. Significantly higher levels of carnitine were found in dystrophic mouse muscle, but carnitine levels in plasma, liver and heart were normal. Histological changes in the skeletal muscle of dystrophic hamsters were relatively mild, and both skeletal muscle and plasma levels were normal. The liver carnitine level was higher than normal levels. The dystrophic hamster also had an inherited cardiomyopathy, and interestingly its heart carnitine level was much lower than normal. The red muscle of the normal chicken contained 5 times the level of carnitine found in white muscle. The dystrophic chicken had higher than normal levels of carnitine in the white muscle, but normal levels in the red muscle. Although all 3 animal models of muscular dystrophy studied have altered levels of carnitine in some tissue, none of the animal models had the same pattern of altered tissue carnitine levels seen in human patients.

Animals

Perspective on Adeno-Associated Virus Capsid Modification for Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy Gene Therapy.

Duchenne muscular dystrophy (DMD) is a X-linked, progressive childhood myopathy caused by mutations in the dystrophin gene, one of the largest genes in the genome. It is characterized by skeletal and cardiac muscle degeneration and dysfunction leading to cardiac and/or respiratory failure. Adeno-associated virus (AAV) is a highly promising gene therapy vector. AAV gene therapy has resulted in unprecedented clinical success for treating several inherited diseases. However, AAV gene therapy for DMD remains a significant challenge. Hurdles for AAV-mediated DMD gene therapy include the difficulty to package the full-length dystrophin coding sequence in an AAV vector, the necessity for whole-body gene delivery, the immune response to dystrophin and AAV capsid, and the species-specific barriers to translate from animal models to human patients. Capsid engineering aims at improving viral vector properties by rational design and/or forced evolution. In this review, we discuss how to use the state-of-the-art AAV capsid engineering technologies to overcome hurdles in AAV-based DMD gene therapy.

Animals

Morphologic changes in extraocular muscles of the dystrophic hamster.

Cardiomyopathic hamsters (UM-X7.1 strain) have demonstrable myopathy involving both skeletal and cardiac muscle. In addition, they have multiple ocular abnormalities. In this study, extraocular muscles were examined by light and electron microscopy. Changes observed within affected muscle fibers were variable and included coagulation necrosis, lysis of myofibrils, mitochondrial changes, and infiltration by phagocytic cells. Regenerative changes included duplication of myoblast nuclei, proliferation of sarcoplasmic reticulum, and myofibrillogenesis. The lesions are presumably myogenic in origin. The cardiomyopathic hamster may be useful as an animal model for certain types of ocular myopathy in man.

Animals

Conduction of nervous impulses in spinal roots and peripheral nerves of dystrophic mice.

Conduction was studied in the sacral ventral roots and ventral tail nerves of dystrophic mice (dy/dy) and phenotypically normal littermates. In myelinated ventral root fibers of normal mice, conduction velocity was uniform with internodal conduction time 45 +/- 5 musec (26 degrees C). In ventral root fibers of dystrophic mice, conduction velocity was decreased and strikingly non-uniform; both saltatory and continuous conduction were observed in different portions of the same nerve fiber. Continuous conduction with velocity less than 2 m/sec (26 degrees C) was characteristically observed in mid-root where the axons are bare; conduction was saltatory close to the exit from the spinal canal and near the spinal cord where the axons are myelinated. Maximum conduction velocity in ventral tail nerves was 21 +/- 3 m/sec for dystrophic mice and 31 +/- 4 m/sec for littermate controls (37 degrees C). Internodal lengths were somewhat decreased in the dystrophic peripheral nerves but there was no significant difference in maximum fiber diameters, myelin thickness or nodal morphology between dystrophic and normal nerves.

Animals