Contrast agent-enhanced magnetic resonance imaging of skeletal muscle damage in animal models of muscular dystrophy.

Membrane lesions play an early role in the pathogenesis of muscular dystrophy. Using a new albumin-targeted contrast agent (MS-325), sarcolemmal integrity of two animal models for muscular dystrophy was studied by MRI. Intravenously injected MS-325 does not enter skeletal muscle of normal mice. However, mdx and Sgca-null mutant mice, animal models for Duchenne and sarcoglycan-deficient limb-girdle muscular dystrophy, respectively, showed significant accumulation of MS-325 in skeletal muscle. The results suggest that contrast agent-enhanced MRI could serve as a common, noninvasive imaging procedure for evaluating the localization, extent, and mechanisms of skeletal muscle damage in muscular dystrophy. Furthermore, this method is expected to facilitate assessment of therapeutic approaches in these diseases.