[Co-transplantation of myoblasts and schwann cells in the therapy of Duchenne muscular dystrophy].

OBJECTIVE: To study the fusion of transplanted myoblast with host muscle cells and the expression of dystrophin in the muscle of mdx mice model for Duchenne muscular dystrophy (DMD) after local co-transplantation of myoblasts and schwann cells.

METHODS: Myoblasts and schwann cells were prepared with gastrocnemius muscle taken from newborn C57BL/10 mice. Twenty four mdx mice were divided into two groups, one group received the injection of myoblasts into gastrocnemius muscle of left behind limb of mdx mice, another group received the cotransplantation of schwann cells and myoblasts in a ratio of 1:10. The cells were transplanted to host mice once a week for four times. The mdx mice were sacrificed one month later, the expression of dystrophin in gastrocnemius muscle was measured, and the pathological and immunohistochemistry exams were performed.

RESULTS: The IOD of dystrophin of left gastrocnemius in co-transplantation group and myoblast transplantation group were 6342429.4167 +/- 925414.20068 and 5295615.7500 +/- 1243283.86373,respectively. The difference showed statistical significance, which indicated that the expression of dystrophin in co-transplantation group was higher than that of myoblast transplantation group.

CONCLUSION: local co-transplantation of myoblast and schwann cell can improve the myoblast's fusion after transplantation.