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According to a study conducted by researchers from the Faculty of Medicine of Laval University and the University Hospital Center (CHU), a dietary supplement derived from glucose increases by 50% the muscular production in the mouse model Dystrophy Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy (DMD) Québec-Université Laval Research Center. The results, recently published in the scientific journal The FASEB Journal pave the way for a clinical study to test the effectiveness of treatment on humans.
DMD is an inherited disorder characterized by progressive muscle degeneration. The disease puts those affected in a wheelchair by their teenage years. It also affects the heart and respiratory muscles, reducing the life expectancy of patients under 40 years of age. DMD affects about 1 in 3,500 boys, making it the most common form of muscular dystrophy. There is no known cure for the disease. Steroid treatment can slow down muscle degeneration, but it causes serious side effects.
"People have a lot of hope for gene therapy, but it will take years of research before finding an effective treatment. author Professor Sachiko Sato. "That's why it's important to find other treatments to help preserve the muscle strength of patients as long as possible."
Professor Sato et al. Tested N-acetylglucosamine, a glucose derivative used as a dietary supplement. DMD symptoms. "It's a simple sugar whose structure differs from that of glucosamine, which is sold to treat joint problems," says Professor Sato.
After ten days of treatment, the researchers found that N-acetylglucosamine in the mice of the control group. "We do not know yet whether the molecule increases the production of muscle fibers or improves its survival rate, but we found that the muscle strength of the mouse was better preserved," sums up Professor Sato
. animals, Professor Sato feels encouraged by the results. "N-acetylglucosamine is an inexpensive product that can be synthesized in the laboratory or extracted from shellfish shells, it is found in human milk in the form of sugar having the second highest concentration after lactose", explains she. "All indications are that it is worth testing its effectiveness to improve the quality of life of DMD patients, we must now conduct clinical trials to confirm the effectiveness of the substance on the human and determine the duration and dosage of the treatment, "concluded Professor Sato.
Learn more:
Researchers replicate FSH muscular dystrophy in mice
More information:
Ann Rancourt et al., Galectin-3 and N-acetylglucosamine promote myogenesis and improve skeletal muscle function in the Duchenne muscular dystrophy MDD model, The FASEB Journal (2018). DOI: 10.1096 / fj.201701151RRR
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