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Fausto LL, Alberti A, Kades G, de Carvalho RPD, Freiberger V, Ventura L, Dias P, Zanoni EM, Soares BH, Dutra ML, Martins DF, Comim CM. Effects of a Ketogenic Diet on the Assessment of Biochemical and Clinical Parameters in Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy: A Preclinical Investigation. Mol Neurobiol 2024:10.1007/s12035-024-04258-6. [PMID: 38816675 DOI: 10.1007/s12035-024-04258-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/01/2023] [Accepted: 05/22/2024] [Indexed: 06/01/2024]
Abstract
Duchenne muscular dystrophy (DMD) is an X-linked recessive disorder characterized by progressive skeletal muscle degeneration and systemic effects, including the central nervous system (CNS). This study aimed to assess the impact of a 14-day ketogenic diet (DCet) on biochemical and clinical parameters in a DMD mouse model. Young adult mice (50 days old) were fed DCet, while control groups received a standard diet. On the 14th day, memory and behavior tests were conducted, followed by biochemical evaluations of oxidative stress, inflammatory biomarkers, body weight, feed intake, and brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) levels. mdx + DCet mice showed reduced mass (0.2 g ± 2.49) and improved memory retention (p < 0.05) compared to controls. Oxidative damage in muscle tissue and CNS decreased, along with a significant cytokine level reduction (p <0.05). The protocol led to an increase in hippocampal BDNF and mitochondrial respiratory complex activity in muscle tissue and the central nervous system (CNS), while also decreasing creatine kinase activity only in the striatum. Overall, a 14-day DCet showed protective effects by improving spatial learning and memory through reductions in oxidative stress and immune response, as well as increases in BDNF levels, consistent with our study's findings.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lilian Leite Fausto
- Research Group in Neurodevelopment of Childhood and Adolescence, Laboratory of Experimental Neuroscience, Postgraduate Program in Health Sciences, University of South Santa Catarina, Avenida Pedra Branca, 25, Pedra Branca, Palhoça, SC, 88137-270, Brazil
| | - Adriano Alberti
- Research Group in Neurodevelopment of Childhood and Adolescence, Laboratory of Experimental Neuroscience, Postgraduate Program in Health Sciences, University of South Santa Catarina, Avenida Pedra Branca, 25, Pedra Branca, Palhoça, SC, 88137-270, Brazil.
| | | | | | - Viviane Freiberger
- Research Group in Neurodevelopment of Childhood and Adolescence, Laboratory of Experimental Neuroscience, Postgraduate Program in Health Sciences, University of South Santa Catarina, Avenida Pedra Branca, 25, Pedra Branca, Palhoça, SC, 88137-270, Brazil
| | - Leticia Ventura
- Research Group in Neurodevelopment of Childhood and Adolescence, Laboratory of Experimental Neuroscience, Postgraduate Program in Health Sciences, University of South Santa Catarina, Avenida Pedra Branca, 25, Pedra Branca, Palhoça, SC, 88137-270, Brazil
| | - Paula Dias
- Research Group in Neurodevelopment of Childhood and Adolescence, Laboratory of Experimental Neuroscience, Postgraduate Program in Health Sciences, University of South Santa Catarina, Avenida Pedra Branca, 25, Pedra Branca, Palhoça, SC, 88137-270, Brazil
| | | | | | - Matheus Luchini Dutra
- Research Group in Neurodevelopment of Childhood and Adolescence, Laboratory of Experimental Neuroscience, Postgraduate Program in Health Sciences, University of South Santa Catarina, Avenida Pedra Branca, 25, Pedra Branca, Palhoça, SC, 88137-270, Brazil
| | - Daniel Fernandes Martins
- Research Group in Neurodevelopment of Childhood and Adolescence, Laboratory of Experimental Neuroscience, Postgraduate Program in Health Sciences, University of South Santa Catarina, Avenida Pedra Branca, 25, Pedra Branca, Palhoça, SC, 88137-270, Brazil
| | - Clarissa Martinelli Comim
- Research Group in Neurodevelopment of Childhood and Adolescence, Laboratory of Experimental Neuroscience, Postgraduate Program in Health Sciences, University of South Santa Catarina, Avenida Pedra Branca, 25, Pedra Branca, Palhoça, SC, 88137-270, Brazil
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Redwan A, Kiriaev L, Kueh S, Morley JW, Houweling P, Perry BD, Head SI. Six weeks of N-acetylcysteine antioxidant in drinking water decreases pathological fiber branching in MDX mouse dystrophic fast-twitch skeletal muscle. Front Physiol 2023; 14:1109587. [PMID: 36866174 PMCID: PMC9971923 DOI: 10.3389/fphys.2023.1109587] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/28/2022] [Accepted: 02/03/2023] [Indexed: 02/16/2023] Open
Abstract
Introduction: It has been proposed that an increased susceptivity to oxidative stress caused by the absence of the protein dystrophin from the inner surface of the sarcolemma is a trigger of skeletal muscle necrosis in the destructive dystrophin deficient muscular dystrophies. Here we use the mdx mouse model of human Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy to test the hypothesis that adding the antioxidant NAC at 2% to drinking water for six weeks will treat the inflammatory phase of the dystrophic process and reduce pathological muscle fiber branching and splitting resulting in a reduction of mass in mdx fast-twitch EDL muscles. Methods: Animal weight and water intake was recorded during the six weeks when 2% NAC was added to the drinking water. Post NAC treatment animals were euthanised and the EDL muscles dissected out and placed in an organ bath where the muscle was attached to a force transducer to measure contractile properties and susceptibility to force loss from eccentric contractions. After the contractile measurements had been made the EDL muscle was blotted and weighed. In order to assess the degree of pathological fiber branching mdx EDL muscles were treated with collagenase to release single fibers. For counting and morphological analysis single EDL mdx skeletal muscle fibers were viewed under high magnification on an inverted microscope. Results: During the six-week treatment phase NAC reduced body weight gain in three- to nine-week-old mdx and littermate control mice without effecting fluid intake. NAC treatment also significantly reduced the mdx EDL muscle mass and abnormal fiber branching and splitting. Discussion: We propose chronic NAC treatment reduces the inflammatory response and degenerative cycles in the mdx dystrophic EDL muscles resulting in a reduction in the number of complexed branched fibers reported to be responsible for the dystrophic EDL muscle hypertrophy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Asma Redwan
- School of Medicine, Western Sydney University, Sydney, NSW, Australia
| | - Leonit Kiriaev
- Murdoch Children’s Research Institute, Melbourne, VIC, Australia
| | - Sindy Kueh
- School of Medicine, Western Sydney University, Sydney, NSW, Australia
| | - John W. Morley
- School of Medicine, Western Sydney University, Sydney, NSW, Australia
| | - Peter Houweling
- Murdoch Children’s Research Institute, Melbourne, VIC, Australia
| | - Ben D. Perry
- School of Science, Western Sydney University, Sydney, NSW, Australia
| | - Stewart I. Head
- School of Medicine, Western Sydney University, Sydney, NSW, Australia,Murdoch Children’s Research Institute, Melbourne, VIC, Australia,*Correspondence: Stewart I. Head,
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Vitiello L, Tibaudo L, Pegoraro E, Bello L, Canton M. Teaching an Old Molecule New Tricks: Drug Repositioning for Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy. Int J Mol Sci 2019; 20:E6053. [PMID: 31801292 PMCID: PMC6929176 DOI: 10.3390/ijms20236053] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/31/2019] [Revised: 11/28/2019] [Accepted: 11/28/2019] [Indexed: 02/07/2023] Open
Abstract
: Duchenne muscular dystrophy (DMD) is one of the most severe forms of inherited muscular dystrophies. The disease is caused by the lack of dystrophin, a structurally essential protein; hence, a definitive cure would necessarily have to pass through some form of gene and/or cell therapy. Cell- and genetic-based therapeutics for DMD have been explored since the 1990s and recently, two of the latter have been approved for clinical use, but their efficacy is still very low. In parallel, there have been great ongoing efforts aimed at targeting the downstream pathogenic effects of dystrophin deficiency using classical pharmacological approaches, with synthetic or biological molecules. However, as it is always the case with rare diseases, R&D costs for new drugs can represent a major hurdle for researchers and patients alike. This problem can be greatly alleviated by experimenting the use of molecules that had originally been developed for different conditions, a process known as drug repurposing or drug repositioning. In this review, we will describe the state of the art of such an approach for DMD, both in the context of clinical trials and pre-clinical studies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Libero Vitiello
- Department of Biology, University of Padova, via U. Bassi 58/B, 35131 Padova, Italy;
- Interuniversity Institute of Myology (IIM), Administrative headquarters University of Perugia, Piazza Lucio Severi 1, 06132, Perugia, Italy;
| | - Lucia Tibaudo
- Interuniversity Institute of Myology (IIM), Administrative headquarters University of Perugia, Piazza Lucio Severi 1, 06132, Perugia, Italy;
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, University of Padova, via U. Bassi 58/B, 35131 Padova, Italy
| | - Elena Pegoraro
- Department of Neurosciences, University of Padova, Via Giustiniani, 5-35128 Padova, Italy;
| | - Luca Bello
- Department of Neurosciences, University of Padova, Via Giustiniani, 5-35128 Padova, Italy;
| | - Marcella Canton
- Interuniversity Institute of Myology (IIM), Administrative headquarters University of Perugia, Piazza Lucio Severi 1, 06132, Perugia, Italy;
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, University of Padova, via U. Bassi 58/B, 35131 Padova, Italy
- Fondazione Istituto di Ricerca Pediatrica Città della Speranza-IRP, Corso Stati Uniti, 4, 35127 Padova, Italy
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N-acetylcysteine Decreases Fibrosis and Increases Force-Generating Capacity of mdx Diaphragm. Antioxidants (Basel) 2019; 8:antiox8120581. [PMID: 31771272 PMCID: PMC6943616 DOI: 10.3390/antiox8120581] [Citation(s) in RCA: 21] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/30/2019] [Revised: 11/10/2019] [Accepted: 11/21/2019] [Indexed: 02/06/2023] Open
Abstract
Respiratory muscle weakness occurs due to dystrophin deficiency in Duchenne muscular dystrophy (DMD). The mdx mouse model of DMD shows evidence of impaired respiratory muscle performance with attendant inflammation and oxidative stress. We examined the effects of N-acetylcysteine (NAC) supplementation on respiratory system performance in mdx mice. Eight-week-old male wild type (n = 10) and mdx (n = 20) mice were studied; a subset of mdx (n = 10) received 1% NAC in the drinking water for 14 days. We assessed breathing, diaphragm, and external intercostal electromyogram (EMG) activities and inspiratory pressure during ventilatory and non-ventilatory behaviours. Diaphragm muscle structure and function, cytokine concentrations, glutathione status, and mRNA expression were determined. Diaphragm force-generating capacity was impaired in mdx compared with wild type. Diaphragm muscle remodelling was observed in mdx, characterized by increased muscle fibrosis, immune cell infiltration, and central myonucleation. NAC supplementation rescued mdx diaphragm function. Collagen content and immune cell infiltration were decreased in mdx + NAC compared with mdx diaphragms. The cytokines IL-1β, IL-6 and KC/GRO were increased in mdx plasma and diaphragm compared with wild type; NAC decreased systemic IL-1β and KC/GRO concentrations in mdx mice. We reveal that NAC treatment improved mdx diaphragm force-generating capacity associated with beneficial anti-inflammatory and anti-fibrotic effects. These data support the potential use of NAC as an adjunctive therapy in human dystrophinopathies.
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