Study of myostatin By PCR in a canine model of muscular dystrophy (GRMD) treated with multi-drug

• Grant number: 11/14600-4
• Support Opportunities: Scholarships in Brazil - Scientific Initiation
• Start date: May 01, 2012
• End date: April 30, 2013
• Field of knowledge: Agronomical Sciences - Veterinary Medicine - Animal Clinics and Surgery
• Principal Investigator: Maria Angelica Miglino
• Grantee: Samira Silva Souto
• Host Institution: Faculdade de Medicina Veterinária e Zootecnia (FMVZ). Universidade de São Paulo (USP). São Paulo , SP, Brazil

Abstract

The Duchenne muscular dystrophy is a genetic abnormality associated to chromosome X, caused owing to an absence of dystrophin that affect humans. This absence results in an imbalance of the protein complex resulting in muscle fibers weaker than suffer progressive degeneration. The Muscular Dystrophy dogs Golden Retriever (GRMD) is genetically homologous to human dystrophy, therefore dogs are used as a model for studies of this pathology not yet has cured. Myostatin is an important inhibitor of skeletal muscle growth inembryonic and adult development and will be used as a marker for thisstudy in which seven drugs will be tested together. Namely: Sildenafilwhich increases nitric oxide, ursodeoxycholic acid, as anti-inflammatory; acetylcysteine as an antioxidant, losartan, antifibrotic and cardioprotective;micofelato mofetil as immunosuppressive therapy, thalidomide, such as diltiazem andantiTNF as a calcium channel blocker, for the purpose of dealing with the effects that cause muscular dystrophy. This study aims to study the effectiveness of these drugs in dog model GRMDmyostatin in the presence of dystrophic skeletal muscle, observed by PCR, analyzingthe pharmacological treatment in dogs affected by muscular dystrophy compared withnormal dogs.