Effects of steroids on the course of hereditary muscular dystrophy in mice

¹ Department of Medicine, Northwestern University, Medical Research Laboratories, Veterans Administration Research Hospital, and Department of Research, Wesley Memorial Hospital, Chicago, Illinois

The administration of anabolic-androgenic steroids or digitalis glycosides to mice with hereditary muscular dystrophy prolonged their life span, whereas treatment with estrogens, deoxycorticosterone or aldosterone resulted in a significantly lower mean attained age. Of the anabolic steroids, 1-methyl-¹-androstenolone acetate, ¹-17-methyltestosterone, and methyltestosterone were the most effective compounds tested. Prolongation of the life span was accompanied by a slowing in the rate of deterioration of muscle strength. Dystrophic animals pretreated with digitoxin or 1-methyl-¹-androstenolone acetate showed a significant lowering of the abnormally high muscle sodium and chloride in control dystrophics. Pretreatment of dystrophic mice with 1-methyl¹-androstenolone alone or together with digitoxin resulted in a significant lowering, from the abnormally high values characteristic of dystrophic muscle, of the potassium efflux from excised peroneus longus muscles.

Key Words: hormones • survival • potassium effect

Submitted on November 5, 1962