Effect of Purines and Pyrimidines on Survival and Composition of Residual Muscle of Mice with Hereditary Muscular Dystrophy. ∗

Abstract

Summary

Administration of hypoxanthine, adenine, uracil and inosine to dystrophic mice resulted in a significant prolongation of the mean attained age compared to untreated controls, while deoxyadenosine resulted in a significant shortening of life span. Nicotinamide mononucleotide, disphosphopyridine nucleotide and 3′, 5′-cyclic adenylic acid also increased the mean attained age of dystrophic mice significantly. A number of other purine and pyrimidine compounds were only slightly effective or not at all. The low muscle potassium, high sodium and high chloride of dystrophic muscle were partially reversed in dystrophic animals given inosine or a combination of hypoxanthine, uracil and adenosine. In the latter group, the ATP and PC content of muscle was between that of untreated dystrophic mice and normal animals.