Cardiovascular phenotype of the Dmd^mdx rat - a suitable animal model for Duchenne muscular dystrophy.

ABSTRACT: Besides skeletal muscle abnormalities, Duchenne muscular dystrophy (DMD) patients present with dilated cardiomyopathy development, which considerably contributes to morbidity and mortality. Because the mechanisms responsible for the cardiac complications in the context of DMD are largely unknown, evidence-based therapy approaches are still lacking. This has increased the need for basic research efforts into animal models for DMD. Here, we characterized in detail the cardiovascular abnormalities of Dmd^mdx rats, with the aim of determining the suitability of this recently established dystrophin-deficient small animal as a model for DMD.Various methods were applied to compare cardiovascular properties between wild-type and Dmd^mdx rats, and to characterize t

SUBMITTER: Szabo PL 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC7927653 | biostudies-literature | 2021 Feb

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature