title: Preclinical drug trials in the mdx mouse: assessment of reliable and sensitive outcome measures.
abstract: The availability of animal models for Duchenne muscular dystrophy has led to extensive preclinical research on potential therapeutics. Few studies have focused on reliability and sensitivity of endpoints for mdx mouse drug trials. Therefore, we sought to compare a wide variety of reported and novel endpoint measures in exercised mdx and normal control mice at 10, 20, and 40 weeks of age. Statistical analysis as well as power calculations for expected effect sizes in mdx preclinical drug trials across different ages showed that body weight, normalized grip strength, horizontal activity, rest time, cardiac function measurements, blood pressure, total central/peripheral nuclei per fiber, and serum creatine kinase are the most effective measurements for detecting drug-induced changes. These data provide an experimental basis upon which standardization of preclinical drug testing can be developed. Muscle Nerve, 2008.
authors.affiliation: Research Center for Genetic Medicine, Children's National Medical Center, 111 Michigan Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20010, USA.
authors.forename: Christopher F
authors.initials: CF
authors.lastname: Spurney
authors.forename: Heather
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Gordish-Dressman
authors.forename: Alfredo D
authors.initials: AD
authors.lastname: Guerron
authors.forename: Arpana
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Sali
authors.forename: Gouri S
authors.initials: GS
authors.lastname: Pandey
authors.forename: Rashmi
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Rawat
authors.forename: Jack H
authors.initials: JH
authors.lastname: Van Der Meulen
authors.forename: Hee-Jae
authors.initials: HJ
authors.lastname: Cha
authors.forename: Emidio E
authors.initials: EE
authors.lastname: Pistilli
authors.forename: Terence A
authors.initials: TA
authors.lastname: Partridge
authors.forename: Eric P
authors.initials: EP
authors.lastname: Hoffman
authors.forename: Kanneboyina
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Nagaraju
mesh_terms: D000367:Age Factors; D000818:Animals; D001794:Blood Pressure / Q000235:genetics; D001835:Body Weight / Q000187:drug effects; D003964:Diaphragm / Q000473:pathology / Q000503:physiopathology; D004195:Disease Models, Animal; D004353:Drug Evaluation, Preclinical; D004562:Electrocardiography / Q000379:methods; D004576:Electromyography; D005080:Exercise Test / Q000379:methods; D005106:Exploratory Behavior / Q000187:drug effects / Q000502:physiology; D018737:Hand Strength / Q000502:physiology; D008124:Locomotion / Q000187:drug effects / Q000235:genetics; D051379:Mice; D008810:Mice, Inbred C57BL; D018101:Mice, Inbred mdx; D009043:Motor Activity / Q000187:drug effects / Q000235:genetics; D053580:Muscle Strength / Q000187:drug effects / Q000235:genetics; D018482:Muscle, Skeletal / Q000187:drug effects / Q000503:physiopathology; D020388:Muscular Dystrophy, Duchenne / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000235:genetics / Q000473:pathology* / Q000503:physiopathology*; D015203:Reproducibility of Results; D045442:Rotarod Performance Test / Q000379:methods; D012680:Sensitivity and Specificity; D016896:Treatment Outcome