Elucidation of Emergent Regional Mechanisms of Heart Muscle Dysfunction in the Mouse Model of Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy

<p>Cardiac dysfunction is a primary cause of mortality in Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy (DMD), potentially related to elevated cytosolic calcium. However, the regional versus global functional consequences of cellular calcium mishandling have not been defined in the whole heart. Here, we elucidate, for the first time, loci- and age-dependencies between calcium mishandling and myocardial sheet function as a manifestation of dystrophin-deficient cardiomyopathy. We also map calcium transients to illustrate the regional dependence of ion flux disturbances in the dystrophin-deficient (mdx) mouse heart. Furthermore, we elucidate abnormalities in autophagic processes that can be corrected with nanoparticle therapeutics delivering rapamycin to heart tissues to improve ventricular function in affected older mice with incipient cardiomyopathy. We conclude that the rapid reversibility of functional defects by reducing cytosolic calcium or by impacting impaired autophagy points to the significance of regional mechanical factors in the progression of the disease.</p>

Name thesis:degree_name

Doctor of Philosophy (PhD)

Level thesis:degree_level

Dissertation

Discipline thesis:degree_discipline

Biomedical Engineering

Year dc:date.available

2014

Author dc:creator

• Cheng, Ya-Jian

Contributors dc:contributor

• Samuel A. Wickline

• Diffusion tensor MRI
• Duchenne Muscular dystrophy
• heart base
• heart muscle sheet
• mdx mouse
• Biomedical Engineering and Bioengineering

Language dc:language

English (en)

DOI

https://doi.org/10.7936/K7XS5SDB

OAI identifier oai:identifier

oai:openscholarship.wustl.edu:etd-2230