Clinical aspects, food management, and clinical evolution of a cat with hypertrophic muscular dystrophy / Aspectos clínicos, manejo alimentar e evolução clínica de um gato com distrofia muscular hipertrófica

Hypertrophic feline muscular dystrophy (HFMD), rarely reported in the literature, is a disease caused by a hereditary recessive dystrophin deficiency linked to the X chromosome, mainly affecting young male cats. Here, we presented the clinical aspects, food management, and clinical evolution of a seven-year-old mixed-breed cat diagnosed with HFMD, having a primary history of progressive tongue protrusion.

A distrofia muscular hipertrófica felina é uma doença causada por uma deficiência da distrofina com caráter hereditário recessivo ligado ao cromossomo X, com poucos registros de ocorrência na literatura, que acomete principalmente gatos machos jovens. Neste trabalho, são relatados os aspectos clínicos, manejo alimentar e evolução clínica de um gato, sem raça definida, de sete anos com histórico principal de protrusão progressiva da língua e diagnosticado com distrofia muscular hipertrófica felina.

Multidrug therapy for muscular dystrophy in a GRMD (Golden Retriever muscular dystrophy) model

Golden Retriever muscular dystrophy (GRMD) is a degenerative, progressive and lethal genetic disease, homologous to human Duchenne muscular dystrophy (DMD). For both there is no cure and clinical interventions are limited to treating clinical signs. As potential treatment, we did a pilot study in GRMD and administered a cocktail of frequently used drugs that might work synergistically. Biochemical blood values were investigated and histology and real-time PCR of muscle biopsies were performed. Significant improvements occurred in experimental Golden Retrievers dogs in regard to the levels of alanine aminotransferase, neutrophils, lymphocytes and CK, which began to show values closer to normal ones when compared to control animals, as well as moderate inflammatory infiltrates in the musculature, according to histology. The drug cocktail seemed to work systemically, but did not interfere with the gene defect, thus having potential value for maintaining the health status and preventing the progression of muscular dystrophy in GRMD model.

Multidrug therapy for muscular dystrophy in a GRMD (Golden Retriever muscular dystrophy) model

Golden Retriever muscular dystrophy (GRMD) is a degenerative, progressive and lethal genetic disease, homologous to human Duchenne muscular dystrophy (DMD). For both there is no cure and clinical interventions are limited to treating clinical signs. As potential treatment, we did a pilot study in GRMD and administered a cocktail of frequently used drugs that might work synergistically. Biochemical blood values were investigated and histology and real-time PCR of muscle biopsies were performed. Significant improvements occurred in experimental Golden Retrievers dogs in regard to the levels of alanine aminotransferase, neutrophils, lymphocytes and CK, which began to show values closer to normal ones when compared to control animals, as well as moderate inflammatory infiltrates in the musculature, according to histology. The drug cocktail seemed to work systemically, but did not interfere with the gene defect, thus having potential value for maintaining the health status and preventing the progression of muscular dystrophy in GRMD model.(AU)