Introduction: In recent years several authors have proposed that muscle pathological changes in humans with dystrophin disorders and in mdx-mice are the result of regeneration attempts of this tissue subjected to constantly repeated bouts of necrosis.
Aim: We compared morphological aspects of degenerative-regenerative groups observed in the mdx-mice with the regenerative phases that follow an intramuscular injection of 30 mL glycerol.
Materials and methods: Gastrocnemius samples from mdx-mice, 1 to 5 months old and from glycerol injected C57Bl10/ScSn mice, 4 to 8 months old, were processed and analyzed in parallel.
Results: We were able to recognize degenerative-regenerative group stages in the mdx-mice that closely matched the anomalies found 1, 2, 3, 4-5, 7 and 21-28 days following the injection with glycerol. CONCLUSION. This study reinforces the hypothesis that muscle pathologic abnormalities of mdx-mice are the result of chronic muscle necrosis-regeneration. Morphologic mdx-mice degenerative-regenerative group staging will be a helpful tool for future investigation of muscle regeneration.