Improvement of endurance of DMD animal model using natural polyphenols

Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy (DMD), the most common form of muscular dystrophy, is characterized by muscular wasting caused
by dystrophin deficiency that ultimately ends in force reduction and premature death. In addition to primary genetic defect, several
mechanisms contribute to DMD pathogenesis. Recently, antioxidant supplementation was shown to be effective in the treatment of
multiple diseases including muscular dystrophy. Different mechanisms were hypothesized such as reduced hydroxyl radicals,
nuclear factor-κB deactivation and NO protection from inactivation. Following these promising evidences, we investigated the effect
of the administration of a mix of dietary natural polyphenols (ProAbe) on dystrophic mdx mice in term of muscular architecture and
functionality. We observed a reduction of muscle fibrosis deposition and myofiber necrosis together with an amelioration of
vascolarization. More importantly, the recovery of the morphological features of dystrophic muscle leads to an improvement of the
endurance of treated dystrophic mice. Our data confirmed that ProAbe-based diet may represent a strategy to co-adjuvate the
treatment of DMD.