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Carbamylated erythropoietin does not alleviate signs of dystrophy in mdx mice
Author(s) -
Wu Melissa P.,
Gussoni Emanuela
Publication year - 2011
Publication title -
muscle and nerve
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.025
H-Index - 145
eISSN - 1097-4598
pISSN - 0148-639X
DOI - 10.1002/mus.21785
Subject(s) - erythropoietin , muscular dystrophy , medicine , creatine kinase , duchenne muscular dystrophy , endocrinology , erythropoiesis , pathogenesis , mdx mouse , stimulation , anemia , dystrophin
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. Muscle Nerve, 2011