A Simple and Low-cost Assay for Measuring Ambulation in Mouse Models of Muscular Dystrophy
Year: 2017
Type: article
Abstract: Measuring functional outcomes in the treatment of muscular dystrophy is an essential aspect of preclinical testing. The assessment of voluntary ambulation in mouse models is a non-invasive and reproducible activity assay that is directly analogous to measures of patient ambulation such as the 6-minute walk test and related mobility scores. Many common methods for testing mouse ambulation speed and distance are based on the open field test, where an animal's free movement within an arena is measured over time. One major downside to this approach is that commercial software and equipment for high-resolution motion tracking is expensive and may require transferring mice to specialized facilities for testing. Here, we describe a low-cost, video-based system for measuring mouse ambulation that utilizes free and open-source software. Using this protocol, we demonstrate that voluntary ambulation in the dystrophin-null mdx mouse model for Duchenne muscular dystrophy (DMD) is decreased relative to wild-type mouse activity. In mdx mice expressing the utrophin transgene, these activity deficits are not observed and the total distance traveled is indistinguishable from wild-type mice. This method is effective for measuring changes in voluntary ambulation associated with dystrophic pathology, and provides a versatile platform that can be readily adapted to diverse research settings.
DOI: 10.3791/56772
Language: English
Subfield: Molecular Biology
Domain: Life Sciences
Open Access status: green
Awards: Restoration of muscle cell adhesion to treat cardiomyopathy in muscular dystrophy, G3616587072, UCLA Muscular Dystrophy Core Center, Structure-Function Analysis of Sarcospan, ROLE OF SARCOSPAN IN CELL SURFACE EXPRESSION OF LAMININ-BINDING COMPLEXES, Regenerative Musculoskeletal Medicine Training Program
OpenAlex ID: W2777653474