Metabolic profiles of dystrophin and utrophin expression in mouse models of Duchenne muscular dystrophy

Metabolic profiles from H-1 nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy have been used to describe both one and two protein systems in four mouse models related to Duchenne muscular dystrophy using the pattern recognition technique partial least squares. Robust statistical models were built for extracts and intact cardiac tissue, distinguishing mice according to expression of dystrophin. Using metabolic profiles of diaphragm, models were built describing dystrophin and utrophin, a dystrophin related protein, expression. Increased utrophin expression counteracted some of the deficits associated with dystrophic tissue. This suggests the method may be ideal for following treatment regimes such as gene therapy. (C) 2002 Federation of European Biochemical Societies. Published by Elsevier Science B.V. All rights reserved.