Differential glucocorticoid effects on the fusion of Duchenne/Becker and control muscle cultures

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Abstract
We report that the glucocorticoid methylprednisolone (Mepd) enhanced myogenesis in normal primary human muscle cultures, but inhibited myogenesis of most Duchenne/Becker muscle cultures. A decline in the magnitude of myogenic stimulation by Mepd correlated with age in a random group of control patients, including some with neurologic diseases other than Duchenne/Becker dystrophy. A case of Duchenne muscular dystrophy from an exceptionally young patient yielded a muscle culture that was myogenically stimulated by Mepd. These results suggest that continuous cycles of degeneration and regeneration of dystrophic muscle in vivo may result in a change of the glucocorticoid response of the muscle progenitor cells. The glucocorticoid effects suggest caution in the long-term clinical use of these agents for muscle disease such as Duchenne muscular dystrophy.

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