Characterization of collagen content and turnover in skeletal muscles in a mouse model of Duchenne muscular dystrophy: in vivo and in vitro analysis

Skeletal muscles of patients affected from Duchenne muscular dystrophy (DMD) are characterized by a progressive skeletal muscle degeneration and weakness, associated to the deposition of collagen (COL), leading to muscle fibrosis. Overall, morphological analysis showed that COL content increased at a different extent in the different skeletal muscles in wt. [...]fibrosis was more evident in mdx mice in QD and DF, suggesting that these are the muscles mainly affected. [...]in young mice fibrosis seems be dependent on increased collagen-crosslinking.