10.14814/phy2.13727">
 

Diltiazem improves contractile properties of skeletal muscle in dysferlin-deficient BLAJ mice, but does not reduce contraction-induced muscle damage

Document Type

Article

Publication Date

2018

Department/School

Health Sciences

Publication Title

Physiological Reports

Abstract

B6.A-Dysf prmd /GeneJ (BLAJ) mice model human limb-girdle muscular dystrophy 2B (LGMD2B), which is linked to mutations in the dysferlin (DYSF) gene. We tested the hypothesis that, the calcium ion (Ca 2+ ) channel blocker diltiazem (DTZ), reduces contraction-induced skeletal muscle damage, in BLAJ mice. We randomly assigned mice (N = 12; 3–4 month old males) to one of two groups – DTZ (N = 6) or vehicle (VEH, distilled water, N = 6). We conditioned mice with either DTZ or VEH for 1 week, after which, their tibialis anterior (TA) muscles were tested for contractile torque and susceptibility to injury from forced eccentric contractions. We continued dosing with DTZ or VEH for 3 days following eccentric contractions, and then studied torque recovery and muscle damage. We analyzed contractile torque before eccentric contractions, immediately after eccentric contractions, and at 3 days after eccentric contractions; and counted damaged fibers in the injured and uninjured TA muscles. We found that DTZ improved contractile torque before and immediately after forced eccentric contractions, but did not reduce delayed-onset muscle damage that was observed at 3 days after eccentric contractions.

Link to Published Version

10.14814/phy2.13727

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