Abstract
ObjectiveTo compare the effects of photobiomodulation therapy (PBMT) and pharmacological therapy (glucocorticoids and non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs) applied alone and in different combinations in mdx mice.MethodsThe animals were randomized and divided into seven experimental groups treated with placebo, PBMT, prednisone, non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drug (NSAIDs), PBMT plus prednisone and PBMT plus NSAID. Wild type animals were used as control. All treatments were performed during 14 consecutive weeks. Muscular morphology, protein expression of dystrophin and functional performance were assessed at the end of the last treatment.ResultsBoth treatments with prednisone and PBMT applied alone or combined, were effective in preserving muscular morphology. In addition, the treatments with PBMT (p = 0.0005), PBMT plus prednisone (p = 0.0048) and PBMT plus NSAID (p = 0.0021) increased dystrophin gene expression compared to placebo-control group. However, in the functional performance the PBMT presented better results compared to glucocorticoids (p<0.0001). In contrast, the use of NSAIDs did not appear to add benefits to skeletal muscle tissue in mdx mice.ConclusionWe believe that the promising and optimistic results about the PBMT in skeletal muscle of mdx mice may in the future contribute to this therapy to be considered a safe alternative for patients with Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy (DMD) in a washout period (between treatment periods with glucocorticoids), allowing them to remain receiving effective and safe treatment in this period, avoiding at this way periods without administration of any treatment.
Highlights
Duchenne muscular dystrophy (DMD) is a rare, severe and progressive neuromuscular disease [1] caused by a mutation in the dystrophin gene, lead to a deficiency in the production of dystrophin [2]
The treatments with photobiomodulation therapy (PBMT) (p = 0.0005), PBMT plus prednisone (p = 0.0048) and PBMT plus non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) (p = 0.0021) increased dystrophin gene expression compared to placebo-control group
The group treated with NSAID (Figs 1 and 3) showed less alterations than the other treatments when compared with placebo-control group, with cell nuclei displaced to the center of the muscle fiber (p
Summary
Duchenne muscular dystrophy (DMD) is a rare, severe and progressive neuromuscular disease [1] caused by a mutation in the dystrophin gene, lead to a deficiency in the production of dystrophin [2]. The essential function of dystrophin in the muscle is stabilizes the fibers during eccentric muscle contraction [3]. The loss of this stabilization leads to myofibers become more susceptible to contraction-induced injury [4], a progressive muscle fibers wasting and replacement by fat and connective tissue [2], compromising the regeneration process [5]. In mdx mice is observed morphological changes indicative of a degenerative process of skeletal muscle tissue, such as fibrosis, decreased number and size of muscle fibers and clustering of nuclei in the center of muscle fibers [9, 10]. Mdx mice present decreased of functional performance [10]
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