Survival of strain 129 dystrophic mice in parabiosis.

Abstract

Postweaning-age dystrophic mice were joined in parabiosis with normal and carrier partners of the same sex and strain. The parabionts and single dystrophic controls were fed a soft diet and received Terramycin in the drinking water. There was no significant difference in survival time or attained age among the groups of dystrophics. There was no evidence of amelioration of the dystrophic process by parabiosis in terms of survival time, weight gain, degree of muscular weakness, or histologic analysis at autopsy. The normal partners did not develop muscular weakness, nor was there histologic evidence of induction of the lesions of dystrophy. It is concluded that there is no evidence of a blood-borne substance present in sufficient concentration in the circulation of the normal partner which can influence the course of the disease, and that there is no indication of a blood-borne substance in the circulation of the dystrophic which can cause dystrophy.