Serum and organ indices of the mdx dystrophic mouse.

Duchenne muscular dystrophy (DMD) is a fatal disease for which there is no effective treatment. The cause of death in patients with DMD is often cardiovascular and pulmonary dysfunction. This clinical observation, combined with experimental findings, suggests that other non-muscle organ systems may be affected in the dystrophic disease state. To test this hypothesis, the present study investigated liver and kidney function in the mdx mouse. Serum chemistries and the hepatic cytochrome P-450 system in normal and dystrophic mdx mice were investigated at two different ages. Increases in serum lactate dehydrogenase (LDH), alkaline phosphatase (AP), aspartate transaminase (AST), and cholesterol levels, combined with an increase in liver weight and a decrease in cytochrome P-450, suggests the possibility of hepatic dysfunction. Increases in serum uric acid and phosphorus, and decreased kidney weight suggest hepatic dysfunction.