Fig. 6.

Systemic laminin-111 delivery prevents muscle disease in mdx mice. (A) Immunofluorescence reveals laminin-111 protein can be delivered systemically to cardiac, diaphragm, and gastrocnemius muscles. Endogenous laminin-111 was detected in treated and nontreated mdx kidney. The injected laminin-111 was detected in vena cava, blood vessels in the brain, and the liver. (Scale bar: 20 μm.) (B) RT-PCR was used to detect the laminin-α1 transcript in mdx skeletal muscle treated with PBS or laminin-111. A 260-bp laminin-α1 product was detected only in the kidney and not in the TA muscle of mice treated with PBS or laminin-111. 18S rRNA served as a control. (C) Quantitative TaqMan RT-PCR confirmed laminin-α1 transcript in kidney but not in the TA muscles of mice treated with PBS or laminin-111. 18S rRNA served as a control. (D) Serum creatine kinase was measured in wild-type or mdx mice 3 weeks after i.p. injections with PBS or laminin-111. Serum creatine kinase was elevated in PBS-injected mdx mice compared with wild type. In contrast, mdx mice injected with laminin-111 exhibit a 2.6-fold reduction in creatine kinase compared with PBS-treated mice and were not significantly different from wild type. *, P < 0.05; n = 5 mice per group. (E) Serum creatinine levels were unchanged between the groups. n = 5 mice per group. (F) Blood urea nitrogen levels were unchanged between the groups. n = 5 mice per group.