Utrophin A is essential in mediating the functional adaptations of mdx mouse muscle following chronic AMPK activation.

Duchenne muscular dystrophy (DMD) is caused by the absence of dystrophin along muscle fibers. An attractive therapeutic avenue for DMD consists in the upregulation of utrophin A, a protein with high sequence identity and functional redundancy with dystrophin. Recent work has shown that pharmacological interventions that induce a muscle fiber shift toward a slower, more oxidative phenotype with increased expression of utrophin A confer morphological and functional improvements in mdx mice. Whether such improvements result from the increased expression of utrophin A per se or are linked to other beneficial adaptations associated with the slow, oxidative phenotype remain to be established. To address this central issue, we capitalized on the use of double knockout (dKO) mice, which are mdx mice also deficient in utrophin. We first compared expression of signaling molecules and markers of the slow, oxidative phenotype in muscles of mdx versus dKO mice and found that both strains exhibit similar phenotypes. Chronic activation of 5' adenosine monophosphate-activated protein kinase with 5-amino-4-imidazolecarboxamide riboside (AICAR) resulted in expression of a slower, more oxidative phenotype in both mdx and dKO mice. In mdx mice, this fiber type shift was accompanied by clear functional improvements that included reductions in central nucleation, IgM sarcoplasmic penetration and sarcolemmal damage resulting from eccentric contractions, as well as in increased grip strength. These important morphological and functional adaptations were not seen in AICAR-treated dKO mice. Our findings show the central role of utrophin A in mediating the functional benefits associated with expression of a slower, more oxidative phenotype in dystrophic animals.

Identification of therapeutics that target eEF1A2 and upregulate utrophin A translation in dystrophic muscles.

Up-regulation of utrophin in muscles represents a promising therapeutic strategy for the treatment of Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy. We previously demonstrated that eEF1A2 associates with the 5'UTR of utrophin A to promote IRES-dependent translation. Here, we examine whether eEF1A2 directly regulates utrophin A expression and identify via an ELISA-based high-throughput screen, FDA-approved drugs that upregulate both eEF1A2 and utrophin A. Our results show that transient overexpression of eEF1A2 in mouse muscles causes an increase in IRES-mediated translation of utrophin A. Through the assessment of our screen, we reveal 7 classes of FDA-approved drugs that increase eEF1A2 and utrophin A protein levels. Treatment of mdx mice with the 2 top leads results in multiple improvements of the dystrophic phenotype. Here, we report that IRES-mediated translation of utrophin A via eEF1A2 is a critical mechanism of regulating utrophin A expression and reveal the potential of repurposed drugs for treating DMD via this pathway.

Nitrogenous Waste Handling by Larval Zebrafish Danio rerio in Alkaline Water.

Although adult fish excrete their nitrogenous waste primarily as ammonia, larval fish may excrete a higher proportion as urea, an evolutionary strategy that lessens nitrogenous waste toxicity during early development. Previous studies firmly established that ammonia excretion is inhibited in adult fish acutely exposed to alkaline water. This study was designed to test the hypothesis that total nitrogen excretion is maintained in larval zebrafish raised in alkaline water (pH ∼ 10.0) as a result of compensatory adjustments to urea and/or ammonia transport pathways. Raising zebrafish in alkaline water from 0 to 4 d postfertilization (dpf) reduced ammonia excretion at 4 dpf, whereas urea excretion was elevated by 141%. The increase in urea excretion at 4 dpf served to maintain total nitrogen excretion constant, despite the persistent inhibition of ammonia excretion. Whole body ammonia and urea contents were not significantly altered by exposure to alkaline water. Protein and mRNA expression of Rhcg1, an apically expressed ammonia-conducting channel, were significantly elevated after 4-d exposure to alkaline water, whereas the mRNA expression of Rhag, Rhbg, and urea transporter were unaffected. The acute exposure to alkaline water of 4-dpf larvae reared in control water caused a rapid inhibition of ammonia excretion that had partially recovered within 6 h of continued exposure. The partial recovery of ammonia excretion despite continued exposure to alkaline water suggested an increased ammonia excretion capacity. In agreement with an increased capacity to excrete ammonia, the transfer of larvae back to the control (normal pH) water was accompanied by increased rates of ammonia excretion. Urea excretion was not stimulated during 6-h exposure to alkaline water. Following both chronic and acute exposure to alkaline water, the rate of uptake of methylamine (an ammonia analog) was significantly elevated, consistent with increased protein expression of the apical ammonia channel, Rhcg1. Taken together, this study demonstrates a complex interplay between ammonia and urea excretion in larval zebrafish exposed to alkaline water.