Increased taurine in pre-weaned juvenile mdx mice greatly reduces the acute onset of myofibre necrosis and dystropathology and prevents inflammation

Discussion Taurine administration to juvenile mdx mice from 14 days of age substantially increased muscle taurine content and greatly mitigated the severity of the acute onset of myofibre necrosis and prevented muscle inflammation at 22 days of age. These data are novel and provide strong support for the growing interest in taurine as a potential low cost clinical intervention to protect the muscles of growing DMD boys. We have previously reported a taurine deficiency in young 18 day old mdx mice, prior to the acute onset of pathology, and this deficiency coincided with the time of weaning of pups from taurine rich milk to taurine poor chow: accordingly, we proposed that weaning (with subsequent drop in taurine ingestion) leads to a taurine deficiency in young mdx mice, which exacerbates muscle necrosis24. However, by 22 days taurine levels in mdx mice have recovered to normal control C57 levels. These data are unclear in defining the role of taurine levels in onset of mdx pathology: this may relate to precise timing of changing taurine levels in growing mdx mice between 18-22 days, since the initiation of myofibre necrosis, that occurs just before 22 days, may be intensified by persistent prior taurine deficiency. Many other cellular and molecular factors that change around 21 days in growing mice may also contribute to the timing of acute onset of myonecrosis in dystrophic muscles, and factors to consider also include the impact of growth, increased mechanical activity ...
Source: PLOS Currents Muscular Dystrophy - Category: Neurology Authors: Source Type: research