Benefits of Prenatal Taurine Supplementation in Preventing the Onset of Acute Damage in the Mdx Mouse

Overview

Journal PLoS Curr

Specialty General Medicine

Date 2017 Dec 1

PMID 29188135

Citations 10

Authors

Robert G Barker

Deanna Horvath

Chris van der Poel

Robyn M Murphy

Affiliations

Soon will be listed here.

Abstract

Introduction: Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy (DMD) is a debilitating muscle wasting disorder with no cure. Safer supplements and therapies are needed to improve the severity of symptoms, as severe side effects are associated with the only effective treatment, corticosteroids. The amino acid taurine has shown promise in ameliorating dystrophic symptoms in mdx mice, an animal model of DMD, however little work is in 21-28 (d)ay animals, the period of natural peak damage.

Methods: This study compares the effect of prenatal taurine supplementation on tibialis anterior (TA) in situ contractile function, histopathological characteristics and the abundance of Ca-handling as well as pathologically relevant proteins in non-exercised mdx mice at 28 and 70 d.

Results: Supplementation elevated TA taurine content by 25% (p<0.05), ameliorated in situ specific force by 60% (p<0.05) and improved histological characteristics in 28 d mdx mice; however no benefit was seen in 70 d mice, where background pathology was initially stable. Age specific effects in SERCA1, calsequestrin 1 (CSQ1), CSQ2, utrophin and myogenin protein abundances were seen between both 28 and 70 d mdx and mdx taurine-supplemented mice.

Discussion: Considering these findings and that taurine is a relatively cost effective, readily accessible and side effect free dietary supplement, we propose further investigation into taurine supplementation during pregnancy in a protective capacity, reminiscent of folate in the prevention of spinal bifida.

Citing Articles

Oxidised Albumin Levels in Plasma and Skeletal Muscle as Biomarkers of Disease Progression and Treatment Efficacy in Dystrophic Mice.

Terrill J, Bautista A, Tsioutsias I, Grounds M, Arthur P Antioxidants (Basel). 2024; 13(6).

PMID: 38929159 PMC: 11201235. DOI: 10.3390/antiox13060720.

Muscle Pathology in Dystrophic Rats and Zebrafish Is Unresponsive to Taurine Treatment, Compared to the Mouse Model for Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy.

Terrill J, Huchet C, Le Guiner C, Lafoux A, Caudal D, Tulangekar A Metabolites. 2023; 13(2).

PMID: 36837851 PMC: 9963000. DOI: 10.3390/metabo13020232.

Exploring the Therapeutic Potential of Ectoine in Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy: Comparison with Taurine, a Supplement with Known Beneficial Effects in the Mouse.

Merckx C, Zschuntzsch J, Meyer S, Raedt R, Verschuere H, Schmidt J Int J Mol Sci. 2022; 23(17).

PMID: 36076964 PMC: 9455265. DOI: 10.3390/ijms23179567.

The Role of Taurine in Skeletal Muscle Functioning and Its Potential as a Supportive Treatment for Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy.

Merckx C, De Paepe B Metabolites. 2022; 12(2).

PMID: 35208266 PMC: 8879184. DOI: 10.3390/metabo12020193.

The PKA-p38MAPK-NFAT5-Organic Osmolytes Pathway in Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy: From Essential Player in Osmotic Homeostasis, Inflammation and Skeletal Muscle Regeneration to Therapeutic Target.

Herbelet S, Merckx C, De Paepe B Biomedicines. 2021; 9(4).

PMID: 33808305 PMC: 8066813. DOI: 10.3390/biomedicines9040350.

References

Gehrig S, van der Poel C, Sayer T, Schertzer J, Henstridge D, Church J . Hsp72 preserves muscle function and slows progression of severe muscular dystrophy. Nature. 2012; 484(7394):394-8. DOI: 10.1038/nature10980. View

Culligan K, Banville N, Dowling P, Ohlendieck K . Drastic reduction of calsequestrin-like proteins and impaired calcium binding in dystrophic mdx muscle. J Appl Physiol (1985). 2002; 92(2):435-45. DOI: 10.1152/japplphysiol.00903.2001. View

Woods C, Novo D, DiFranco M, Capote J, Vergara J . Propagation in the transverse tubular system and voltage dependence of calcium release in normal and mdx mouse muscle fibres. J Physiol. 2005; 568(Pt 3):867-80. PMC: 1464167. DOI: 10.1113/jphysiol.2005.089318. View

Schaffer S, Jong C, Ramila K, Azuma J . Physiological roles of taurine in heart and muscle. J Biomed Sci. 2010; 17 Suppl 1:S2. PMC: 2994395. DOI: 10.1186/1423-0127-17-S1-S2. View

Rios E, Pizarro G, Stefani E . Charge movement and the nature of signal transduction in skeletal muscle excitation-contraction coupling. Annu Rev Physiol. 1992; 54:109-33. DOI: 10.1146/annurev.ph.54.030192.000545. View

Terrill PhD J, Grounds M, Arthur P . Increased taurine in pre-weaned juvenile mdx mice greatly reduces the acute onset of myofibre necrosis and dystropathology and prevents inflammation. PLoS Curr. 2016; 8. PMC: 5029885. DOI: 10.1371/currents.md.77be6ec30e8caf19529a00417614a072. View

Marques M, Mendes Z, Minatel E, Neto H . Acetylcholine receptors and nerve terminal distribution at the neuromuscular junction of long-term regenerated muscle fibers. J Neurocytol. 2006; 34(6):387-96. DOI: 10.1007/s11068-006-8725-1. View

Murphy R, Verburg E, Lamb G . Ca2+ activation of diffusible and bound pools of mu-calpain in rat skeletal muscle. J Physiol. 2006; 576(Pt 2):595-612. PMC: 1890353. DOI: 10.1113/jphysiol.2006.114090. View

Hayes A, Williams D . Contractile function and low-intensity exercise effects of old dystrophic (mdx) mice. Am J Physiol. 1998; 274(4):C1138-44. DOI: 10.1152/ajpcell.1998.274.4.C1138. View

10.

Huxtable R . Physiological actions of taurine. Physiol Rev. 1992; 72(1):101-63. DOI: 10.1152/physrev.1992.72.1.101. View

11.

De Luca A, Pierno S, Liantonio A, Cetrone M, Camerino C, Fraysse B . Enhanced dystrophic progression in mdx mice by exercise and beneficial effects of taurine and insulin-like growth factor-1. J Pharmacol Exp Ther. 2002; 304(1):453-63. DOI: 10.1124/jpet.102.041343. View

12.

Allen D, Whitehead N, Froehner S . Absence of Dystrophin Disrupts Skeletal Muscle Signaling: Roles of Ca2+, Reactive Oxygen Species, and Nitric Oxide in the Development of Muscular Dystrophy. Physiol Rev. 2015; 96(1):253-305. PMC: 4698395. DOI: 10.1152/physrev.00007.2015. View

13.

Lynch G, Hinkle R, Chamberlain J, Brooks S, Faulkner J . Force and power output of fast and slow skeletal muscles from mdx mice 6-28 months old. J Physiol. 2001; 535(Pt 2):591-600. PMC: 2278782. DOI: 10.1111/j.1469-7793.2001.00591.x. View

14.

Head S . Branched fibres in old dystrophic mdx muscle are associated with mechanical weakening of the sarcolemma, abnormal Ca2+ transients and a breakdown of Ca2+ homeostasis during fatigue. Exp Physiol. 2010; 95(5):641-56. DOI: 10.1113/expphysiol.2009.052019. View

15.

Burkholder T, Fingado B, Baron S, Lieber R . Relationship between muscle fiber types and sizes and muscle architectural properties in the mouse hindlimb. J Morphol. 1994; 221(2):177-90. DOI: 10.1002/jmor.1052210207. View

16.

McIntosh L, Granberg K, Briere K, Anderson J . Nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy study of muscle growth, mdx dystrophy and glucocorticoid treatments: correlation with repair. NMR Biomed. 1998; 11(1):1-10. DOI: 10.1002/(sici)1099-1492(199802)11:1<1::aid-nbm493>3.0.co;2-d. View

17.

Wineinger M, Walsh S, Abresch R . The effect of age and temperature on mdx muscle fatigue. Muscle Nerve. 1998; 21(8):1075-7. DOI: 10.1002/(sici)1097-4598(199808)21:8<1075::aid-mus14>3.0.co;2-t. View

18.

Bushby K, Finkel R, Birnkrant D, Case L, Clemens P, Cripe L . Diagnosis and management of Duchenne muscular dystrophy, part 1: diagnosis, and pharmacological and psychosocial management. Lancet Neurol. 2009; 9(1):77-93. DOI: 10.1016/S1474-4422(09)70271-6. View

19.

De Luca A, Pierno S, Conte Camerino D . Taurine: the appeal of a safe amino acid for skeletal muscle disorders. J Transl Med. 2015; 13:243. PMC: 4513970. DOI: 10.1186/s12967-015-0610-1. View

20.

Beilharz M, Lareu R, Garrett K, Grounds M, Fletcher S . Quantitation of muscle precursor cell activity in skeletal muscle by Northern analysis of MyoD and myogenin expression: Application to dystrophic (mdx) mouse muscle. Mol Cell Neurosci. 2009; 3(4):326-31. DOI: 10.1016/1044-7431(92)90029-2. View