Duchennemusculardystrophy(DMD)杜氏肌营养不良症occursduetogeneticmutationsthatleadtoabsenceordecreaseofdystrophinproteingeneratingprogressivemuscledegeneration.Celltherapyusingmesenchymalstemcell(MSC)骨髓间充质干细胞hasbeendescribedasatreatmenttoDMD.Inthiswork,MSCderivedfromdeciduousteeth,calledstemcellsfromhumanexfoliateddeciduousteeth(SHED),wereinjectedinacupointasanalternativetherapytominimizemuscledegenerationintwenty-twomdxmice.Thetreatmentoccurredthreetimeswithintervalsof21days,andanimalswereanalyzedfourtimes:sevendayspriortreatment(T-7);10daysafterfirsttreatment(T10);10daysaftersecondtreatment(T31);and10daysafterthirdtreatment(T52).Animalswereevaluatedbywiretestforestimatestrengthandbloodwascollectedtoperformacreatininephosphokinaseanalysis.Aftereuthanasia,cranialtibialmuscleswerecollectedandsubmittedtohistologicalandimmunohistochemistryanalyses.Treatedgroupspresentedimprovementofstrengthandreducedcreatininephosphokinaselevels.Also,aslightdystrophinincreasewasobservedintibialcranialmusclewhenaquapuncturewasassociatedSHED.Alltherapieshaveminimizedmuscledegeneration,buttheassociationofaquapuncturewithSHEDappearstohavebettereffect,reducingmuscledamage,suggestingatherapeuticvalue.
