Effect of creatine supplementation on skeletal muscle of mdx mice.
Dystrophic mice (mdx) and their controls (C57/Bl10) were fed for 1 month with a diet with or without creatine (Cr) enrichment. Cr supplementation reduced mass (by 19%, P < 0.01) and mean fiber surface (by 25%, P < 0.05) of fast-twitch mdx muscles. In both strains, tetanic tension increased slightly (9.2%) without reaching statistical significance (P = 0.08), and relaxation time increased by 16% (P < 0.001). However, Cr had no protective effect on the other hallmarks of dystrophy such as susceptibility to eccentric contractions; large numbers of centrally nucleated fibers in tibialis anterior; and elevated total calcium content, which increased by 85% (P = 0.008) in gastrocnemius mdx muscles. In conclusion, Cr may be a positive intervention for improving function of dystrophic muscle.
Louis
Magali
M
Institut d'Education Physique et de Réadaptation, Faculté de Médecine, Université Catholique de Louvain, 1 Place Pierre de Coubertin, B-1348 Louvain-la-Neuve, Belgium.
Raymackers
Jean Marc
JM
Debaix
Huguette
H
Lebacq
Jean
J
Francaux
Marc
M
D000818:Animals; D003401:Creatine / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D019587:Dietary Supplements; D066298:In Vitro Techniques; D008297:Male; D051379:Mice; D008810:Mice, Inbred C57BL; D018101:Mice, Inbred mdx; D009119:Muscle Contraction / Q000187:drug effects / Q000502:physiology; D018482:Muscle, Skeletal / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000502:physiology; D009136:Muscular Dystrophies / Q000178:diet therapy / Q000503:physiopathology*
D003401:Creatine