title: Diaphragm: A vital respiratory muscle in mammals.
abstract: The diaphragm is a respiratory muscle that is primarily responsible for the respiratory function in normal individuals. In mammals, the diaphragm muscle has been studied from the early days of zoology, comparative and experimental anatomy, physiology, medicine, physics, and philosophy. However, even with these early advances in knowledge pertaining to the diaphragm, comprehensive morphological data on the diaphragm are still incomplete. In this review, we summarize the beginnings of the morphological description of the diaphragm, and we describe the current status of the known morphological and embryological features. In addition, we correlate how the impairment of the diaphragm muscle in Duchenne muscular dystrophy (DMD) can lead to patient deaths. DMD is the most common X-linked muscle degenerative disease and is caused by a lack of dystrophin protein. Dystrophin is an important muscle protein that links the cellular cytoskeleton with the extracellular matrix. In the absence of dystrophin, the muscle becomes susceptible to damage during muscle contraction. This review allows researchers to obtain an overview of the diaphragm, transcending the morphological data from animals described in conventional literature.
authors.affiliation: Department of Surgery at the School of Veterinary Medicine and Animal Science of University of Sao Paulo, FMVZ/USP, Av. Prof. Dr. Orlando Marques de Paiva, n. 87, Cidade Universitária, 05508-000 São Paulo, SP, Brazil. Electronic address: thaisblessa32@gmail.com.
authors.forename: Thais Borges
authors.initials: TB
authors.lastname: Lessa
authors.affiliation: Department of Surgery at the School of Veterinary Medicine and Animal Science of University of Sao Paulo, FMVZ/USP, Av. Prof. Dr. Orlando Marques de Paiva, n. 87, Cidade Universitária, 05508-000 São Paulo, SP, Brazil.
authors.forename: Dilayla Kelly
authors.initials: DK
authors.lastname: de Abreu
authors.affiliation: Departamento of Morphology at Biologic Science Institute of Federal University of Minas Gerais (UFMG), Avenue Presidente Antônio Carlos, 6627, Pampulha, Belo Horizonte, MG CEP 31.270-010, Brazil.
authors.forename: Bruno Machado
authors.initials: BM
authors.lastname: Bertassoli
authors.affiliation: Department of Veterinary Medicine, Faculdade de Medicina Veterinária e Zootecnia, Universidade de São Paulo - FMVZ/USP, Av. Duque de Caxias Norte 225, Pirassununga, 13635-900 Pirassununga, SP, Brazil.
authors.forename: Carlos Eduardo
authors.initials: CE
authors.lastname: Ambrósio
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D003964:Diaphragm / Q000033:anatomy & histology* / Q000503:physiopathology*; D006801:Humans; D015656:Respiratory Mechanics / Q000502:physiology*; D013045:Species Specificity
keywords: History; Mammalian diaphragm; Muscular dystrophies; Respiratory muscle