title: Use of Evans blue dye to compare limb muscles in exercised young and old mdx mice.
abstract: Evans blue dye (EBD) is used to mark damaged and permeable muscle fibers in mouse models of muscular dystrophy and as an endpoint in therapeutic trials. We counted EBD-positive muscle fibers and extracted EBD from muscles sampled throughout the hindlimbs in young adult and old mdx mice to determine if the natural variability in morphology would allow measurement of a functional improvement in one limb compared to the contralateral limb. Following one bout of rotarod or treadmill exercise that greatly increased serum creatine kinase levels, the number of EBD(+) muscle fibers in 12-19-month-old mdx mice increased 3-fold, EBD in the muscles increased, and, importantly, contralateral pairs of muscles contained similar amounts of EBD. In contrast, the intra- and interlimb amounts of EBD in 2-7-month-old mdx mice were much too variable. A therapeutic effect can more readily be measured in old mdx mice. These results will be useful in the design of therapy protocols using the mdx mouse.
authors.affiliation: Roche Madison Inc., 465 Science Drive, Madison, Wisconsin 53711, USA. chris.wooddell@roche.com
authors.forename: Christine I
authors.initials: CI
authors.lastname: Wooddell
authors.forename: Guofeng
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Zhang
authors.forename: Jacob B
authors.initials: JB
authors.lastname: Griffin
authors.forename: Julia O
authors.initials: JO
authors.lastname: Hegge
authors.forename: Thierry
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Huss
authors.forename: Jon A
authors.initials: JA
authors.lastname: Wolff
mesh_terms: D000367:Age Factors; D000375:Aging / Q000502:physiology*; D000818:Animals; D003402:Creatine Kinase / Q000097:blood; D005070:Evans Blue / Q000032:analysis; D005121:Extremities / Q000502:physiology; D005260:Female; D008297:Male; D051379:Mice; D008810:Mice, Inbred C57BL; D018101:Mice, Inbred mdx; D018485:Muscle Fibers, Skeletal / Q000201:enzymology / Q000378:metabolism / Q000502:physiology; D018482:Muscle, Skeletal / Q000502:physiology* / Q000503:physiopathology; D009137:Muscular Dystrophy, Animal / Q000503:physiopathology*; D010805:Physical Conditioning, Animal / Q000379:methods; D005082:Physical Exertion / Q000502:physiology*
chemical_list: D005070:Evans Blue; D003402:Creatine Kinase