Non-invasive assessment of microvascular changes in a Duchenne muscular dystrophy rat model with near-infrared spectroscopy
In brief
Dystrophy rats show reduced muscle oxygen extraction on near-infrared scans
In six Duchenne muscular dystrophy rats and six controls, near-infrared readings showed reduced oxygen extraction in skeletal muscle and strongly tracked muscle microvessel structure. Brain oxygenation did not differ between groups; the small study supports further testing of this non-invasive approach, but validation across disease stages and tissues is still needed.
- Journal
- Neuromuscular disorders : NMD (Q1)
- Published
- 24 October 2026
- Study design
- Unclassified
- Evidence level
- Level 5, Expert Opinion (CEBM 5)
- Authors
- Margarita Egiian, Rasa Eskandari, Susan Tyler, Mamadou Diop, Lisa Hoffman
- PMID
- 42971060
- DOI
- 10.1016/j.nmd.2026.107463
Why clinicians should know about it
- Picked for Histology (paper of the day, 5 November 2026): Correlates optical measurements with muscle microvascular architecture
Abstract
Near-infrared spectroscopy (NIRS) is a non-invasive technique for assessing tissue oxygenation and microvascular function. It may be particularly useful in Duchenne muscular dystrophy (DMD), where progressive vascular alterations contribute to disease pathophysiology. However, the relationship between optical markers and underlying histological features remains poorly established. NIRS measurements were acquired from six DMD rats and six age-matched wild-type controls at 4 and 5 weeks of age to assess tissue oxygenation and hemodynamics in the hindlimb muscle and brain. After the second measurement, the gastrocnemius muscle and the diaphragm were collected for histological analysis and immunostaining. The Mann-Whitney U test was used for independent group comparisons, and the Wilcoxon Signed-Rank Test was used for paired data. Associations between histological and optical markers were evaluated using Spearman's rank correlation. NIRS-derived optical measurements demonstrated strong correlations with muscle microvascular architecture, particularly microvessel-to-fibre ratio, supporting their utility as proxies for histological features. No significant differences were observed in brain oxygenation parameters between genotypes. In contrast, skeletal muscle in DMD rats exhibited reduced oxygen extraction, suggesting impaired metabolic or microvascular function. NIRS provides a promising non-invasive approach for assessing microvascular and metabolic alterations in DMD. However, further validation across tissues and disease stages is required. These findings support the development of NIRS-based biomarkers for longitudinal monitoring and early detection of functional deficits in DMD.
Abstract as published, via PubMed.
For healthcare professionals. The summary is generated by AI from the published abstract, and the evidence level is assigned automatically from the study design on the Oxford CEBM hierarchy. Neither is medical advice. Read the full paper before changing practice.