SERCA-mediated calcium uptake in the DBA/2J vs C57BL/10 mdx models of Duchenne muscular dystrophy

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Riley EG Cleverdon ◽  
Kennedy C Whitley ◽  
Daniel M Marko ◽  
Sophie I Hamstra ◽  
Jessica L Braun ◽  
...  

The C57BL/10ScSn-Dmdmdx/J (C57 mdx) mouse is the most commonly used murine model of Duchenne muscular dystrophy (DMD) but displays a mild phenotype with a late onset, greatly limiting translatability to clinical research. In consequence, the D2.B10-Dmdmdx/J (D2 mdx) mouse was created and produces a more severe, early onset phenotype. Mechanistic insights of the D2 mdx phenotype have yet to be elucidated, specifically related to sarcoplasmic reticulum (SR) calcium (Ca2+) handling. In our study, we aimed to determine if SR Ca2+ handling differences in the D2 mdx versus the C57 mdx mouse could explain model phenotypes. Firstly, analyses determined that D2 mdx mice ambulate less and have weaker muscles, but have greater energy expenditure than C57 counterparts. SR Ca2+ handling measures determined that only D2 mdx mice have impaired SR calcium intake in the gastrocnemius, left ventricle and diaphragm. This was coupled with decrements in maximal sarco-endoplasmic reticulum Ca2+-ATPase (SERCA) activity and greater activation of the Ca2+-activated protease, calpain, in the gastrocnemius. Overall, our study is the first to determine that SR Ca2+ handling is impaired in the D2 mdx mouse, specifically at the level of the SERCA pump. 

Metabolites ◽  
2018 ◽  
Vol 8 (4) ◽  
pp. 61 ◽  
Author(s):  
Josiane Joseph ◽  
Dong Cho ◽  
Jason Doles

Duchenne muscular dystrophy (DMD) is a musculoskeletal disorder that causes severe morbidity and reduced lifespan. Individuals with DMD have an X-linked mutation that impairs their ability to produce functional dystrophin protein in muscle. No cure exists for this disease and the few therapies that are available do not dramatically delay disease progression. Thus, there is a need to better understand the mechanisms underlying DMD which may ultimately lead to improved treatment options. The muscular dystrophy (MDX) mouse model is frequently used to explore DMD disease traits. Though some studies of metabolism in dystrophic mice exist, few have characterized metabolic profiles of supporting cells in the diseased environment. Using nontargeted metabolomics we characterized metabolic alterations in muscle satellite cells (SCs) and serum of MDX mice. Additionally, live-cell imaging revealed MDX-derived adipose progenitor cell (APC) defects. Finally, metabolomic studies revealed a striking elevation of acylcarnitines in MDX APCs, which we show can inhibit APC proliferation. Together, these studies highlight widespread metabolic alterations in multiple progenitor cell types and serum from MDX mice and implicate dystrophy-associated metabolite imbalances in APCs as a potential contributor to adipose tissue disequilibrium in DMD.


1994 ◽  
Vol 107 (6) ◽  
pp. 1477-1483 ◽  
Author(s):  
D.J. Law ◽  
D.L. Allen ◽  
J.G. Tidball

Duchenne muscular dystrophy (DMD) and the myopathy seen in the mdx mouse both result from absence of the protein dystrophin. Structural similarities between dystrophin and other cytoskeletal proteins, its enrichment at myotendinous junctions, and its indirect association with laminin mediated by a transmembrane glycoprotein complex suggest that one of dystrophin's functions in normal muscle is to form one of the links between the actin cytoskeleton and the extracellular matrix. Unlike Duchenne muscular dystrophy patients, mdx mice suffer only transient muscle necrosis, and are able to regenerate damaged muscle tissue. The present study tests the hypothesis that mdx mice partially compensate for dystrophin's absence by upregulating one or more dystrophin-independent mechanisms of cytoskeleton-membrane association. Quantitative analysis of immunoblots of adult mdx muscle samples showed an increase of approximately 200% for vinculin and talin, cytoskeletal proteins that mediate thin filament-membrane interactions at myotendinous junctions. Blots also showed an increase (143%) in the dystrophin-related protein called utrophin, another myotendinous junction constituent, which may be able to substitute for dystrophin directly. Muscle samples from 2-week-old animals, a period immediately preceding the onset of muscle necrosis, showed no significant differences in protein concentration between mdx and controls. Quantitative analyses of confocal images of myotendinous junctions from mdx and control muscles show significantly higher concentrations of talin and vinculin at the myotendinous junctions of mdx muscle. These findings indicate that mdx mice may compensate in part for the absence of dystrophin by increased expression of other molecules that subsume dystrophin's mechanical function.


Author(s):  
H.D. Geissinger ◽  
L.D. Rhodes

Since the ‘mdx’ mouse appears to have the same basic defect as sufferers of human Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy (DMD), much recent interest in this possible animal model for the human disease has been generated. Perforations in the sarcolemma have been reported recently in the necrotic tibialis anterior (TA) of 35-days-old and the extensor digitorum longus muscles of 39-days-old ‘mdx’ mice. It is the purpose of this communication to find out if these lesions occur not only in necrotic, but also in unaffected, or in centronucleated fibers of the TA of mice which are younger than 35, or older than 39 days.METHODS: TA from 22-, 25-, 41-, 61- and 99-days-old C57BL/10ScSn/MDX and C57BL/lOScSn control mice were pinned on corkboard in a relaxed state, prefixed for 30 minutes in 2.5% glutaraldehyde followed by routine processing for TEM. Appropriate micrographs were evaluated for a more detailed morphological analysis of the sarcolemma (SL) and the basal lamina (BL).RESULTS: It should be stated beforehand that in all muscles examined the BL appeared to be intact. In the muscles of a 25-days-old control mouse the SL appeared quite intact (FIG. 1). In contrast to this small perforations or large tears in the SL could be seen in otherwise unaffected muscles of 22- (FIG. 2), 25- and 41-days-old ‘mdx’ mice, as well as in necrotic and regenerating fibers of mice from these ages.


Antioxidants ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 10 (8) ◽  
pp. 1241
Author(s):  
Basma A. Al-Mshhdani ◽  
Miranda D. Grounds ◽  
Peter G. Arthur ◽  
Jessica R. Terrill

Duchenne muscular dystrophy (DMD) is a severe X-linked muscle wasting disease with no cure. While the precise mechanisms of progressive dystropathology remain unclear, oxidative stress caused by excessive generation of oxidants is strongly implicated. Blood biomarkers that could track oxidant levels in tissues would be valuable to measure the effectiveness of clinical treatments for DMD; our research has focused on developing such biomarkers. One target of oxidants that has the potential to be harnessed as a clinical biomarker is the thiol side chain of cysteine 34 (Cys34) of the blood protein albumin. This study using the mdx mouse model of DMD shows that in plasma, albumin Cys34 undergoes thiol oxidation and these changes correlate with levels of protein thiol oxidation and damage of the dystrophic muscles. A comparison with the commonly used biomarker protein carbonylation, confirmed that albumin thiol oxidation is the more sensitive plasma biomarker of oxidative stress occurring in muscle tissue. We show that plasma albumin oxidation reflects muscle dystropathology, as increased after exercise and decreased after taurine treatment of mdx mice. These data support the use of albumin thiol oxidation as a blood biomarker of dystropathology to assist with advancing clinical development of therapies for DMD.


2013 ◽  
Vol 115 (9) ◽  
pp. 1393-1401 ◽  
Author(s):  
Xiaojie Yang ◽  
Lixin Chin ◽  
Blake R. Klyen ◽  
Tea Shavlakadze ◽  
Robert A. McLaughlin ◽  
...  

Minimally invasive, high-resolution imaging of muscle necrosis has the potential to aid in the assessment of diseases such as Duchenne muscular dystrophy. Undamaged muscle tissue possesses high levels of optical birefringence due to its anisotropic ultrastructure, and this birefringence decreases when the tissue undergoes necrosis. In this study, we present a novel technique to image muscle necrosis using polarization-sensitive optical coherence tomography (PS-OCT). From PS-OCT scans, our technique is able to quantify the birefringence in muscle tissue, generating an image indicative of the tissue ultrastructure, with areas of abnormally low birefringence indicating necrosis. The technique is demonstrated on excised skeletal muscles from exercised dystrophic mdx mice and control C57BL/10ScSn mice with the resulting images validated against colocated histological sections. The technique additionally gives a measure of the proportion (volume fraction) of necrotic tissue within the three-dimensional imaging field of view. The percentage necrosis assessed by this technique is compared against the percentage necrosis obtained from manual assessment of histological sections, and the difference between the two methods is found to be comparable to the interobserver variability of the histological assessment. This is the first published demonstration of PS-OCT to provide automated assessment of muscle necrosis.


2012 ◽  
Vol 139 (3) ◽  
pp. 209-218 ◽  
Author(s):  
Gaëlle Robin ◽  
Christine Berthier ◽  
Bruno Allard

Under resting conditions, external Ca2+ is known to enter skeletal muscle cells, whereas Ca2+ stored in the sarcoplasmic reticulum (SR) leaks into the cytosol. The nature of the pathways involved in the sarcolemmal Ca2+ entry and in the SR Ca2+ leak is still a matter of debate, but several lines of evidence suggest that these Ca2+ fluxes are up-regulated in Duchenne muscular dystrophy. We investigated here SR calcium permeation at resting potential and in response to depolarization in voltage-controlled skeletal muscle fibers from control and mdx mice, the mouse model of Duchenne muscular dystrophy. Using the cytosolic Ca2+ dye Fura2, we first demonstrated that the rate of Ca2+ increase in response to cyclopiazonic acid (CPA)–induced inhibition of SR Ca2+-ATPases at resting potential was significantly higher in mdx fibers, which suggests an elevated SR Ca2+ leak. However, removal of external Ca2+ reduced the rate of CPA-induced Ca2+ increase in mdx and increased it in control fibers, which indicates an up-regulation of sarcolemmal Ca2+ influx in mdx fibers. Fibers were then loaded with the low-affinity Ca2+ dye Fluo5N-AM to measure intraluminal SR Ca2+ changes. Trains of action potentials, chloro-m-cresol, and depolarization pulses evoked transient Fluo5N fluorescence decreases, and recovery of voltage-induced Fluo5N fluorescence changes were inhibited by CPA, demonstrating that Fluo5N actually reports intraluminal SR Ca2+ changes. Voltage dependence and magnitude of depolarization-induced SR Ca2+ depletion were found to be unchanged in mdx fibers, but the rate of the recovery phase that followed depletion was found to be faster, indicating a higher SR Ca2+ reuptake activity in mdx fibers. Overall, CPA-induced SR Ca2+ leak at −80 mV was found to be significantly higher in mdx fibers and was potentiated by removal of external Ca2+ in control fibers. The elevated passive SR Ca2+ leak may contribute to alteration of Ca2+ homeostasis in mdx muscle.


2017 ◽  
Vol 122 (4) ◽  
pp. 828-843 ◽  
Author(s):  
Roberta Francesca Capogrosso ◽  
Paola Mantuano ◽  
Anna Cozzoli ◽  
Francesca Sanarica ◽  
Ada Maria Massari ◽  
...  

Progressive weakness is a typical feature of Duchenne muscular dystrophy (DMD) patients and is exacerbated in the benign mdx mouse model by in vivo treadmill exercise. We hypothesized a different threshold for functional adaptation of mdx muscles in response to the duration of the exercise protocol. In vivo weakness was confirmed by grip strength after 4, 8, and 12 wk of exercise in mdx mice. Torque measurements revealed that exercise-related weakness in mdx mice correlated with the duration of the protocol, while wild-type (WT) mice were stronger. Twitch and tetanic forces of isolated diaphragm and extensor digitorum longus (EDL) muscles were lower in mdx compared with WT mice. In mdx, both muscle types exhibited greater weakness after a single exercise bout, but only in EDL after a long exercise protocol. As opposite to WT muscles, mdx EDL ones did not show any exercise-induced adaptations against eccentric contraction force drop. qRT-PCR analysis confirmed the maladaptation of genes involved in metabolic and structural remodeling, while damage-related genes remained significantly upregulated and angiogenesis impaired. Phosphorylated AMP kinase level increased only in exercised WT muscle. The severe histopathology and the high levels of muscular TGF-β1 and of plasma matrix metalloproteinase-9 confirmed the persistence of muscle damage in mdx mice. Therefore, dystrophic muscles showed a partial degree of functional adaptation to chronic exercise, although not sufficient to overcome weakness nor signs of damage. The improved understanding of the complex mechanisms underlying maladaptation of dystrophic muscle paves the way to a better managment of DMD patients. NEW & NOTEWORTHY We focused on the adaptation/maladaptation of dystrophic mdx mouse muscles to a standard protocol of exercise to provide guidance in the development of more effective drug and physical therapies in Duchenne muscular dystrophy. The mdx muscles showed a modest functional adaptation to chronic exercise, but it was not sufficient to overcome the progressive in vivo weakness, nor to counter signs of muscle damage. Therefore, a complex involvement of multiple systems underlies the maladaptive response of dystrophic muscle.


2022 ◽  
Vol 23 (2) ◽  
pp. 958
Author(s):  
Marco Ponzetti ◽  
Argia Ucci ◽  
Antonio Maurizi ◽  
Luca Giacchi ◽  
Anna Teti ◽  
...  

Lipocalin 2 (Lcn2) is an adipokine involved in bone and energy metabolism. Its serum levels correlate with bone mechanical unloading and inflammation, two conditions representing hallmarks of Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy (DMD). Therefore, we investigated the role of Lcn2 in bone loss induced by muscle failure in the MDX mouse model of DMD. We found increased Lcn2 serum levels in MDX mice at 1, 3, 6, and 12 months of age. Consistently, Lcn2 mRNA was higher in MDX versus WT muscles. Immunohistochemistry showed Lcn2 expression in mononuclear cells between muscle fibres and in muscle fibres, thus confirming the gene expression results. We then ablated Lcn2 in MDX mice, breeding them with Lcn2−/− mice (MDXxLcn2−/−), resulting in a higher percentage of trabecular volume/total tissue volume compared to MDX mice, likely due to reduced bone resorption. Moreover, MDXxLcn2−/− mice presented with higher grip strength, increased intact muscle fibres, and reduced serum creatine kinase levels compared to MDX. Consistently, blocking Lcn2 by treating 2-month-old MDX mice with an anti-Lcn2 monoclonal antibody (Lcn2Ab) increased trabecular volume, while reducing osteoclast surface/bone surface compared to MDX mice treated with irrelevant IgG. Grip force was also increased, and diaphragm fibrosis was reduced by the Lcn2Ab. These results suggest that Lcn2 could be a possible therapeutic target to treat DMD-induced bone loss.


2006 ◽  
Vol 290 (2) ◽  
pp. R449-R455 ◽  
Author(s):  
Mizuko Yoshida ◽  
Akira Yonetani ◽  
Toshihiro Shirasaki ◽  
Keiji Wada

The mdx mouse is an animal model for Duchenne muscular dystrophy. Mdx mice fed a 12% NaCl diet from birth up to 20 days of age (mdx-Na mice) had an ∼50% reduction in serum creatine kinase (CK) activity compared with mdx mice fed a standard diet. Most notably, necrotic fibers in tibialis anterior (TA) muscle of mdx-Na mice were reduced by 99% and were similar in control mice. These mdx mice displayed significantly elevated blood Ca2+ and Na+ levels, while the total calcium content of their TA muscle was reduced to the level of control mice. In addition, mdx-Na mice had elevated zinc and magnesium contents in their TA muscle. These results suggest that elevated serum Na+ leads to Ca2+ extrusion from muscle via the Na+/Ca2+ exchanger causing a decrease in intracellular Ca2+ levels and an increase in blood Ca2+ levels. Extracellular Ca2+ and, in addition, Zn2+ and Mg2+ might also contribute to the stabilization of the cell membrane. Other possibilities explaining the surprisingly efficacious beneficial effect of dietary sodium exist and are discussed.


2018 ◽  
Vol 314 (4) ◽  
pp. C483-C491 ◽  
Author(s):  
Robert G. Barker ◽  
Victoria L. Wyckelsma ◽  
Hongyang Xu ◽  
Robyn M. Murphy

Mitochondrial dysfunction is a pathological feature of Duchenne muscular dystrophy (DMD), a debilitating and fatal neuromuscular disorder characterized by progressive muscle wasting and weakness. Mitochondria are a source of cellular ATP involved in Ca2+ regulation and apoptotic signaling. Ameliorating aberrant mitochondrial function has therapeutic potential for reducing DMD disease severity. The dystrophic mdx mouse exhibits peak muscle damage at 21–28 days, which stabilizes after 8 wk. The amino acid taurine is implicated in mitochondrial health and function, with endogenous concentrations low when measured during the cycle of peak muscle damage in mdx mice. Using whole soleus and extensor digitorum longus (EDL) muscle homogenates from 28- and 70-day mdx mice, we found that there was no change in native state mitochondrial complexes using blue native-PAGE. NADH:ubiquinone oxidotreductase subunit-A9 (NDUFA9) protein abundance was lower in soleus muscle of 28- and 70-day mdx mice and EDL muscle of 70-day mdx mice compared with same muscles in WT (C57/BL10ScSn) animals. There were age-dependent increases in both NDUFA9 protein abundance and citrate synthase activity in soleus muscles of mdx and wild-type mice. There was no change in abundances of mitochondrial dynamics proteins mitofusin 2 (Mfn2) and mitochondrial dynamics protein 49 (MiD49). Taurine administration essentially did not affect any measurements of mitochondria. Collectively, these findings suggest mitochondrial content and dynamics are not reduced in the mdx mouse regardless of disease severity. We also elucidate that taurine affords no significant benefit to mitochondrial content or dynamics in the mdx mouse at either 28 or 70 days.


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