losartan-potassium and Muscular-Dystrophy--Animal

Erythropoietin promotes myoblast proliferation and inhibits fibrosis and thus it could impede the pathogenesis of muscle degenerative diseases. However, its stimulation of erythropoiesis limits its use as a therapeutic agent. An erythropoietin analog, carbamylated erythropoietin (C-EPO), retains these protective actions, yet it does not interact with the erythropoietin receptor. To determine whether treatment with C-EPO alleviates the signs of muscular dystrophy in an animal model of Duchenne muscular dystrophy, we treated mdx mice with intraperitoneal injections of 50 μg/kg and 100 μg/kg C-EPO for 4 and 12 weeks, and we monitored weight, serum creatine kinase levels, and changes in muscle histology. Moderate histological improvement was observed at 4 weeks, which did not translate into a significantly decreased level of serum creatine kinase. At the doses tested, C-EPO is not an effective therapeutic for the treatment of a mouse model of Duchenne muscular dystrophy.

Topics: Animals; Cell Proliferation; Creatine Kinase; Disease Models, Animal; Erythropoietin; Female; Injections, Intraperitoneal; Mice; Mice, Inbred C57BL; Mice, Inbred mdx; Muscle, Skeletal; Muscular Dystrophy, Animal; Myoblasts; Neuroprotective Agents; Treatment Failure