Micro-dystrophin Gene Therapy Partially Enhances Exercise Capacity in Older Adult Mice.

Micro-dystrophin (μDys) gene therapeutics can improve striated muscle structure and function in different animal models of Duchenne muscular dystrophy. Most studies, however, used young mice that lack a pronounced dystrophic phenotype, short treatment periods, and limited muscle function tests. We, therefore, determined the relative efficacy of two previously described μDys gene therapeutics (rAAV6:μDysH3 and rAAV6:μDys5) in 6-month-old mice using a 6-month treatment regimen and forced exercise.

Red raspberries suppress NLRP3 inflammasome and attenuate metabolic abnormalities in diet-induced obese mice.

The NLR family pyrin domain containing 3 (NLRP3) inflammasome plays a critical role in insulin resistance and the pathogenesis of type 2 diabetes. Red raspberry (RB) contains high amounts of dietary fibers and polyphenolic compounds, which are known for their anti-oxidative and anti-inflammatory effects. This study evaluated the preventive effects of RB supplementation on the NLRP3 inflammasome activation and associated metabolic abnormalities induced by high fat diet (HFD).

Sexually dimorphic skeletal muscle and cardiac dysfunction in a mouse model of limb girdle muscular dystrophy 2i.

The fukutin-related protein P448L mutant mouse replicates many pathologies common to limb girdle muscular dystrophy 2i (LGMD2i) and is a potentially strong candidate for relevant drug screening studies. Because striated muscle function remains relatively uncharacterized in this mouse, we sought to identify metabolic, functional and histological metrics of exercise and cardiac performance. This was accomplished by quantifying voluntary exercise on running wheels, forced exercise on respiratory treadmills and cardiac output with echocardiography and isoproterenol stress tests.