Characterization of dystrophic muscle in golden retriever muscular dystrophy dogs by nuclear magnetic resonance imaging

Thibaud, J.-L.; Monnet, A.; Bertoldi, D.; Barthélémy, I.; Blot, S.; Carlier, P.G.

doi:10.1016/j.nmd.2007.03.013

« Previous Next »Neuromuscular Disorders
Volume 17, Issue 7 , Pages 575-584, July 2007

Characterization of dystrophic muscle in golden retriever muscular dystrophy dogs by nuclear magnetic resonance imaging

J.-L. Thibaud
- Neurobiology Laboratory, National Veterinary School of Alfort, Maisons-Alfort, France and INSERM EMI 00-11, Créteil, France
A. Monnet
- NMR Laboratory, AFM AIM, Institute of Myology, Pitie-Salpetriere University Hospital, Paris, France
D. Bertoldi
- NMR Laboratory, AFM AIM, Institute of Myology, Pitie-Salpetriere University Hospital, Paris, France
I. Barthélémy
- Neurobiology Laboratory, National Veterinary School of Alfort, Maisons-Alfort, France and INSERM EMI 00-11, Créteil, France
S. Blot
- Neurobiology Laboratory, National Veterinary School of Alfort, Maisons-Alfort, France and INSERM EMI 00-11, Créteil, France
- Corresponding authors. Tel.: +33 0 1 43 96 71 71; fax: +33 0 1 43 96 70 89 (S. Blot), tel./fax: +33 0 1 4216 5894 (P.G. Carlier).
P.G. Carlier
- NMR Laboratory, AFM AIM, Institute of Myology, Pitie-Salpetriere University Hospital, Paris, France
- Corresponding authors. Tel.: +33 0 1 43 96 71 71; fax: +33 0 1 43 96 70 89 (S. Blot), tel./fax: +33 0 1 4216 5894 (P.G. Carlier).

Received 6 December 2006; received in revised form 8 March 2007; accepted 27 March 2007.

Abstract

The Golden Retriever Muscular Dystrophy dog lacks dystrophin. Disease progression in this model shares many similarities with the Duchenne muscular dystrophy, both from anatomico pathological and clinical standpoints. The model is increasingly used in pre-clinical trials but needs to be further investigated, particularly with reference to the evaluation of therapies. The aim of this study was to identify quantitative indices that would help characterize the dystrophic dog non-invasively using NMR imaging. Two-month-old dystrophic dogs and healthy control animals were scanned at 4T. Standard T2- and T1-weighted images, fat-saturated T1-weighted images pre- and post-gadolinium chelate injection were acquired and kinetics of muscle enhancement were studied over a 2-h period. Several indices were found to be abnormally high in dystrophic dogs: the T2-weighted/T1-weighted signal ratio, T2-weighted image heterogeneity and maximal signal enhancement post-gadolinium. These may be proposed to evaluate muscle structural alterations non-invasively in this disease.