Characterization of Cardiomyopathy in a Mouse Model of Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy (DMD) Using Echocardiography, DCE-CT, and PET-FDG

Duchenne muscular dystrophy (DMD) is an X-linked recessive neuromuscular disease that is the result of a loss of functional dystrophin, which causes cardiomyocyte fibrosis and death, leading to cardiomyopathy. In this thesis, I have utilized dynamic contrast-enhanced computed tomography (DCE-CT), positron emission tomography-fluorodeoxyglucose (PET-FDG), echocardiography, and traditional histology to longitudinally assess disease progression and degree of cardiomyopathy in a murine model of DMD (mdx:utrn-/-). No significant changes were observed in the blood flow, blood volume, or cardiac volume measured via DCE-CT, nor in standard uptake value (SUV) of glucose as measured by PET-FDG in the left myocardium between and within the two study groups (of mdx:utrn -/- mice and healthy wild-type mice) over time. Our pilot echocardiography study and histological results show possible morphological/architectural and functional changes in affected myocardia of mdx:utrn-/- mice. These findings may provide us with an avenue to longitudinally characterize the progression of cardiomyopathy in the murine model of DMD, mdx:utrn -/- , in addition to providing a potential baseline for a comparison with future therapeutics.

Name thesis:degree_name

M Sc

Discipline thesis:degree_discipline

Medical Biophysics

Grantor dc:publisher

The University of Western Ontario

Year dc:date.issued

2012

Author dc:creator

• Moazami, Seyed Hamed

Advisor dc:contributor.advisor

• Lisa Hoffman

• Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy
• Cardiomyopathy
• Dynamic contrast enhanced computed tomography
• Positron emission tomography
• Echocardiography
• Mdx:utrn-/-

Language dc:language.iso

en_ca

Handle dc:identifier.uri

https://hdl.handle.net/20.500.14721/37052

OAI identifier oai:identifier

oai:uwo.scholaris.ca:20.500.14721/37052