Effect of DDB on dystrophic hamsters:An in vivo and in vitro study

DDB is a traditional Chinese medicine which was originally extracted from Fructus Schizan- drae chinensis.We administered this medicine to dystrophic hamsters in vivo for 31 days.This led to a 60.9% reduction of the Ca content,a 86.2% reduction of the Ca deposited area and a 51.8% reduction of the necrotic area of cardiac muscle.However,skeletal muscle necrosis was not significantly improved.No clear change in plasma CK was observed.In an in vitro incubation study,the rate of CK release and tetanus tension of extensor digitorum longus muscle of dystrophic hamsters were not substantially changed by the addition of DDB.This study suggests that DDB has an effect on cardiac necrosis analogous to that of a Ca antagonist,and that it might be useful for the treatment of cardiac involvement in patients with muscular dystrophy or othe conditions with accompaning Ca accumulation.