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Kiriaev L, Baumann CW, Lindsay A. Eccentric contraction-induced strength loss in dystrophin-deficient muscle: Preparations, protocols, and mechanisms. J Gen Physiol 2023; 155:213810. [PMID: 36651896 PMCID: PMC9856740 DOI: 10.1085/jgp.202213208] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/30/2022] [Revised: 12/01/2022] [Accepted: 12/28/2022] [Indexed: 01/19/2023] Open
Abstract
The absence of dystrophin hypersensitizes skeletal muscle of lower and higher vertebrates to eccentric contraction (ECC)-induced strength loss. Loss of strength can be accompanied by transient and reversible alterations to sarcolemmal excitability and disruption, triad dysfunction, and aberrations in calcium kinetics and reactive oxygen species production. The degree of ECC-induced strength loss, however, appears dependent on several extrinsic and intrinsic factors such as vertebrate model, skeletal muscle preparation (in vivo, in situ, or ex vivo), skeletal muscle hierarchy (single fiber versus whole muscle and permeabilized versus intact), strength production, fiber branching, age, and genetic background, among others. Consistent findings across research groups show that dystrophin-deficient fast(er)-twitch muscle is hypersensitive to ECCs relative to wildtype muscle, but because preparations are highly variable and sensitivity to ECCs are used repeatedly to determine efficacy of many preclinical treatments, it is critical to evaluate the impact of skeletal muscle preparations on sensitivity to ECC-induced strength loss in dystrophin-deficient skeletal muscle. Here, we review and discuss variations in skeletal muscle preparations to evaluate the factors responsible for variations and discrepancies between research groups. We further highlight that dystrophin-deficiency, or loss of the dystrophin-glycoprotein complex in skeletal muscle, is not a prerequisite for accelerated strength loss-induced by ECCs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Leonit Kiriaev
- Muscle Research Group, Murdoch Children’s Research Institute, Parkville, Victoria, Australia,School of Medicine, Western Sydney University, Campbelltown, New South Wales, Australia
| | - Cory W. Baumann
- Ohio Musculoskeletal and Neurological Institute (OMNI), Ohio University, Athens, OH, USA,Department of Biomedical Sciences, Ohio University, Athens, OH, USA
| | - Angus Lindsay
- Institute for Physical Activity and Nutrition, School of Exercise and Nutrition Sciences, Deakin University, Geelong, Victoria, Australia,Correspondence to Angus Lindsay:
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Sztretye M, Szabó L, Dobrosi N, Fodor J, Szentesi P, Almássy J, Magyar ZÉ, Dienes B, Csernoch L. From Mice to Humans: An Overview of the Potentials and Limitations of Current Transgenic Mouse Models of Major Muscular Dystrophies and Congenital Myopathies. Int J Mol Sci 2020; 21:ijms21238935. [PMID: 33255644 PMCID: PMC7728138 DOI: 10.3390/ijms21238935] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/30/2020] [Revised: 11/19/2020] [Accepted: 11/20/2020] [Indexed: 12/24/2022] Open
Abstract
Muscular dystrophies are a group of more than 160 different human neuromuscular disorders characterized by a progressive deterioration of muscle mass and strength. The causes, symptoms, age of onset, severity, and progression vary depending on the exact time point of diagnosis and the entity. Congenital myopathies are rare muscle diseases mostly present at birth that result from genetic defects. There are no known cures for congenital myopathies; however, recent advances in gene therapy are promising tools in providing treatment. This review gives an overview of the mouse models used to investigate the most common muscular dystrophies and congenital myopathies with emphasis on their potentials and limitations in respect to human applications.
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Wells DJ. What is the level of dystrophin expression required for effective therapy of Duchenne muscular dystrophy? J Muscle Res Cell Motil 2019; 40:141-150. [PMID: 31289969 DOI: 10.1007/s10974-019-09535-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 21] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/08/2019] [Accepted: 06/27/2019] [Indexed: 12/21/2022]
Abstract
Duchenne muscular dystrophy (DMD) is a fatal X-linked muscle wasting disease. The disease is due to mutations in the DMD gene that encodes for a large intracellular protein called dystrophin. Dystrophin plays a critical role in linking the internal cytoskeleton of the striated muscle cell with the extracellular matrix as well as having cell signalling functions. In its absence muscle contraction is associated with cycles of damage, repair, inflammation and fibrosis with eventual loss of muscle and replacement with fat. Experiments in animal models of DMD have generated a number of different approaches to the induction of dystrophin including viral vector mediated delivery of a recombinant dystrophin gene, antisense oligonucleotide mediated exon-skipping to restore the open reading frame in the dystrophin mRNA, read-through of premature stop mutations, genome modification using CRISPR-Cas9 or cell based transfer of a functional dystrophin gene. In all cases, it will be important to understand how much dystrophin expression is required for a clinically effective therapy and this review examines the data from humans and animal models to estimate the percentage of endogenous dystrophin that is likely to have significant clinical benefit. While there are a number of important caveats to consider, including the appropriate outcome measures, this review suggests that approximately 20% of endogenous levels uniformly distributed within the skeletal muscles and the heart may be sufficient to largely prevent disease progression.
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Affiliation(s)
- Dominic J Wells
- Neuromuscular Diseases Group, Department of Comparative Biomedical Sciences, Royal Veterinary College, Royal College Street, London, NW1 0TU, UK.
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Wasala NB, Shin JH, Lai Y, Yue Y, Montanaro F, Duan D. Cardiac-Specific Expression of ΔH2-R15 Mini-Dystrophin Normalized All Electrocardiogram Abnormalities and the End-Diastolic Volume in a 23-Month-Old Mouse Model of Duchenne Dilated Cardiomyopathy. Hum Gene Ther 2018; 29:737-748. [PMID: 29433343 DOI: 10.1089/hum.2017.144] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/21/2022] Open
Abstract
Heart disease is a major health threat for Duchenne/Becker muscular dystrophy patients and carriers. Expression of a 6-8 kb mini-dystrophin gene in the heart holds promise to change the disease course dramatically. However, the mini-dystrophin gene cannot be easily studied with adeno-associated virus (AAV) gene delivery because the size of the minigene exceeds AAV packaging capacity. Cardiac protection of the ΔH2-R19 minigene was previously studied using the cardiac-specific transgenic approach. Although this minigene fully normalized skeletal muscle force, it only partially corrected electrocardiogram and heart hemodynamics in dystrophin-null mdx mice that had moderate cardiomyopathy. This study evaluated the ΔH2-R15 minigene using the same transgenic approach in mdx mice that had more severe cardiomyopathy. In contrast to the ΔH2-R19 minigene, the ΔH2-R15 minigene carries dystrophin spectrin-like repeats 16 to 19 (R16-19), a region that has been suggested to protect the heart in clinical studies. Cardiac expression of the ΔH2-R15 minigene normalized all aberrant electrocardiogram changes and improved hemodynamics. Importantly, it corrected the end-diastolic volume, an important diastolic parameter not rescued by ΔH2-R19 mini-dystrophin. It is concluded that that ΔH2-R15 mini-dystrophin is a superior candidate gene for heart protection. This finding has important implications in the design of the mini/micro-dystrophin gene for Duchenne cardiomyopathy therapy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nalinda B Wasala
- 1 Department of Molecular Microbiology and Immunology, The University of Missouri , Columbia, Missouri
| | - Jin-Hong Shin
- 1 Department of Molecular Microbiology and Immunology, The University of Missouri , Columbia, Missouri
| | - Yi Lai
- 1 Department of Molecular Microbiology and Immunology, The University of Missouri , Columbia, Missouri
| | - Yongping Yue
- 1 Department of Molecular Microbiology and Immunology, The University of Missouri , Columbia, Missouri
| | - Federica Montanaro
- 2 Dubowitz Neuromuscular Centre, Molecular Neurosciences Section, Developmental Neurosciences Programme, UCL Great Ormond Street Institute of Child Health , London, United Kingdom
| | - Dongsheng Duan
- 1 Department of Molecular Microbiology and Immunology, The University of Missouri , Columbia, Missouri.,3 Department of Neurology, School of Medicine, The University of Missouri , Columbia, Missouri.,4 Department of Bioengineering, The University of Missouri , Columbia, Missouri.,5 Department of Biomedical Sciences, College of Veterinary Medicine, The University of Missouri , Columbia, Missouri
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5
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Hakim CH, Wasala NB, Pan X, Kodippili K, Yue Y, Zhang K, Yao G, Haffner B, Duan SX, Ramos J, Schneider JS, Yang NN, Chamberlain JS, Duan D. A Five-Repeat Micro-Dystrophin Gene Ameliorated Dystrophic Phenotype in the Severe DBA/2J-mdx Model of Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy. MOLECULAR THERAPY-METHODS & CLINICAL DEVELOPMENT 2017; 6:216-230. [PMID: 28932757 PMCID: PMC5596503 DOI: 10.1016/j.omtm.2017.06.006] [Citation(s) in RCA: 66] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/03/2017] [Accepted: 06/24/2017] [Indexed: 02/07/2023]
Abstract
Micro-dystrophins are highly promising candidates for treating Duchenne muscular dystrophy, a lethal muscle disease caused by dystrophin deficiency. Here, we report robust disease rescue in the severe DBA/2J-mdx model with a neuronal nitric oxide synthase (nNOS)-binding micro-dystrophin vector. 2 × 1013 vector genome particles/mouse of the vector were delivered intravenously to 10-week-old mice and were evaluated at 6 months of age. Saturated micro-dystrophin expression was detected in all skeletal muscles and the heart and restored the dystrophin-associated glycoprotein complex and nNOS. In skeletal muscle, therapy substantially reduced fibrosis and calcification and significantly attenuated inflammation. Centronucleation was significantly decreased in the tibialis anterior (TA) and extensor digitorum longus (EDL) muscles but not in the quadriceps. Muscle function was normalized in the TA and significantly improved in the EDL muscle. Heart histology and function were also evaluated. Consistent with the literature, DBA/2J-mdx mice showed myocardial calcification and fibrosis and cardiac hemodynamics was compromised. Surprisingly, similar myocardial pathology and hemodynamic defects were detected in control DBA/2J mice. As a result, interpretation of the cardiac data proved difficult due to the confounding phenotype in control DBA/2J mice. Our results support further development of this microgene vector for clinical translation. Further, DBA/2J-mdx mice are not good models for Duchenne cardiomyopathy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chady H. Hakim
- Department of Molecular Microbiology and Immunology, School of Medicine, University of Missouri, Columbia, MO 65212, USA
- National Center for Advancing Translational Sciences (NCATS), Bethesda, MD 20892, USA
| | - Nalinda B. Wasala
- Department of Molecular Microbiology and Immunology, School of Medicine, University of Missouri, Columbia, MO 65212, USA
| | - Xiufang Pan
- Department of Molecular Microbiology and Immunology, School of Medicine, University of Missouri, Columbia, MO 65212, USA
| | - Kasun Kodippili
- Department of Molecular Microbiology and Immunology, School of Medicine, University of Missouri, Columbia, MO 65212, USA
| | - Yongping Yue
- Department of Molecular Microbiology and Immunology, School of Medicine, University of Missouri, Columbia, MO 65212, USA
| | - Keqing Zhang
- Department of Molecular Microbiology and Immunology, School of Medicine, University of Missouri, Columbia, MO 65212, USA
| | - Gang Yao
- Department of Bioengineering, University of Missouri, Columbia, MO 65212, USA
| | - Brittney Haffner
- Department of Molecular Microbiology and Immunology, School of Medicine, University of Missouri, Columbia, MO 65212, USA
| | - Sean X. Duan
- Department of Molecular Microbiology and Immunology, School of Medicine, University of Missouri, Columbia, MO 65212, USA
| | - Julian Ramos
- Department of Neurology, Wellstone Muscular Dystrophy Research Center, University of Washington, Seattle, WA 98105, USA
| | | | - N. Nora Yang
- National Center for Advancing Translational Sciences (NCATS), Bethesda, MD 20892, USA
| | - Jeffrey S. Chamberlain
- Department of Neurology, Wellstone Muscular Dystrophy Research Center, University of Washington, Seattle, WA 98105, USA
| | - Dongsheng Duan
- Department of Molecular Microbiology and Immunology, School of Medicine, University of Missouri, Columbia, MO 65212, USA
- Department of Bioengineering, University of Missouri, Columbia, MO 65212, USA
- Department of Neurology, School of Medicine, University of Missouri, Columbia, MO 65212, USA
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, College of Veterinary Medicine, University of Missouri, Columbia, MO 65212, USA
- Corresponding author: Dongsheng Duan, PhD, Department of Molecular Microbiology and Immunology, School of Medicine, University of Missouri, One Hospital Dr., Columbia, MO 65212, USA.
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Wasala NB, Lai Y, Shin JH, Zhao J, Yue Y, Duan D. Genomic removal of a therapeutic mini-dystrophin gene from adult mice elicits a Duchenne muscular dystrophy-like phenotype. Hum Mol Genet 2016; 25:2633-2644. [PMID: 27106099 DOI: 10.1093/hmg/ddw123] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/04/2016] [Revised: 03/29/2016] [Accepted: 04/18/2016] [Indexed: 12/27/2022] Open
Abstract
Duchenne muscular dystrophy (DMD) is caused by dystrophin deficiency. A fundamental question in DMD pathogenesis and dystrophin gene therapy is whether muscle health depends on continuous dystrophin expression throughout the life. Published data suggest that transient dystrophin expression in early life might offer permanent protection. To study the consequences of adulthood dystrophin loss, we generated two strains of floxed mini-dystrophin transgenic mice on the dystrophin-null background. Muscle diseases were prevented in skeletal muscle of the YL238 strain and the heart of the SJ13 strain by selective expression of a therapeutic mini-dystrophin gene in skeletal muscle and heart, respectively. The mini-dystrophin gene was removed from the tibialis anterior (TA) muscle of 8-month-old YL238 mice and the heart of 7-month-old SJ13 mice using an adeno-associated virus serotype-9 Cre recombinase vector (AAV.CBA.Cre). At 12 and 15 months after AAV.CBA.Cre injection, mini-dystrophin expression was reduced by ∼87% in the TA muscle of YL238 mice and ∼64% in the heart of SJ13 mice. Mini-dystrophin reduction caused muscle atrophy, degeneration and force loss in the TA muscle of YL238 mice and significantly compromised left ventricular hemodynamics in SJ13 mice. Our results suggest that persistent dystrophin expression is essential for continuous muscle and heart protection.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nalinda B Wasala
- Department of Molecular Microbiology and Immunology, School of Medicine
| | - Yi Lai
- Department of Molecular Microbiology and Immunology, School of Medicine
| | - Jin-Hong Shin
- Department of Molecular Microbiology and Immunology, School of Medicine
| | - Junling Zhao
- Department of Molecular Microbiology and Immunology, School of Medicine
| | - Yongping Yue
- Department of Molecular Microbiology and Immunology, School of Medicine
| | - Dongsheng Duan
- Department of Molecular Microbiology and Immunology, School of Medicine .,Department of Neurology, School of Medicine.,Department of Bioengineering, The University of Missouri, Columbia, MO 65212, USA
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