Figure 5.

NMR imaging and spectroscopy analyses of muscles. (a) Representative example of transverse fat-saturated T2-weighted NMR image of the two forelimbs of one dog of group 3 (D8). The vector was injected in the left forelimb and imaging was performed 3 months after injection. Signal muscle intensities were decreased and more homogeneous in the injected forelimb (left) compared to the noninjected one (right). (b) Representative example of ³¹P NMR spectra of the injected (left) and noninjected forelimb (right) of the same dog (D8). Phosphocreatine (PCr) was increased and phosphodiesters (PDE) were decreased relative to ATP in the treated forelimb compared to the untreated forelimb. (c) NMR imaging T2w/T1w muscle signal ratios of dogs injected with a small volume (20% of the limb volume), obtained from three different muscles. ECR, extensor carpi radialis brevis; ECRl, extensor carpi radialis longus; FCU, flexor carpi ulnaris). The values of this index in the injected limbs (red closed symbols for high dose and blue closed symbols for intermediate dose) were decreased compared to the noninjected ones (open red and blue symbols) and controls (yellow symbols) or nontreated Golden Retriever Muscular Dystrophy (GRMD) reference population (white symbols), and they were closer to the normal dog indices (black symbols). (d) NMR spectroscopy PDE/PCr muscle signal ratios of the dogs injected with high (red symbols), intermediate (blue symbols) and low vector doses (grey symbols), with large volume (40% of the limb volume) or small volume (20% of the limb volume) as compared to GRMD controls.