Long‐term therapy with omega‐3 ameliorates myonecrosis and benefits skeletal muscle regeneration in Mdx mice

Abstract

In Duchenne muscle dystrophy (DMD) and in the mdx mouse model of DMD, a lack of dystrophin leads to myonecrosis and cardiorespiratory failure. Several lines of evidence suggest a detrimental role of the inflammatory process in the dystrophic process. Previously, we demonstrated that short‐term therapy with eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA), at early stages of disease, ameliorated dystrophy progression in the mdx mouse. In the present study, we evaluated the effects of a long‐term therapy with omega‐3 later in dystrophy progression. Three‐month‐old mdx mice received omega‐3 (300 mg/kg) or vehicle by gavage for 5 months. The quadriceps and diaphragm muscles were removed and processed for histopathology and Western blot. Long‐term therapy with omega‐3 increased the regulatory protein MyoD and muscle regeneration and reduced markers of inflammation (TNF‐α and NF‐kB) in both muscles studied. The present study supports the long‐term use of omega‐3 at later stages of dystrophy as a promising option to be investigated in DMD clinical trials