Effects of irradiation on regeneration in dystrophic mouse leg muscles.

Irradiation of dystrophic mouse (strain Re 129) leg muscles with a single dose of 20 Gy 10 days after birth resulted in subtotal suppression of regeneration. One week after the treatment regenerating muscle cells were scarce, while in the contralateral untreated leg the process of regeneration was unhampered. Here, numerous young muscle cells were a striking feature. The model is used to examine the processes of fibre wasting and regeneration, and to investigate their effects on the development of the dystrophic syndrome.