BACKGROUND: Inhibition of activin/myostatin pathway has emerged as a novel approach to increase muscle mass and bone strength. @entity1555 ( @entity1555 ) is a @entity4094 that leads to progressive @entity121 and also high incidence of @entity174 . The aim of our study was to test whether inhibition of @entity21601 ligands with or without exercise could improve bone strength in the mdx @entity19 model for @entity1555 . METHODS: Thirty-two mdx @entity19 were divided to running and non-running groups and to receive either PBS control or soluble activin type IIB-receptor ( @entity21601 -Fc) once weekly for 7 weeks. RESULTS: Treatment of mdx @entity19 with @entity21601 -Fc resulted in significantly increased body and muscle weights in both sedentary and exercising @entity19 . Femoral  CT analysis showed increased bone volume and trabecular number (BV/TV +80%, Tb.N +70%, P   <   0.05) in both @entity21601 -Fc treated groups. Running also resulted in increased bone volume and trabecular number in PBS-treated @entity19 . However, there was no significant difference in trabecular bone structure or volumetric bone mineral density between the @entity21601 -Fc and @entity21601 -Fc-R indicating that running did not further improve bone structure in @entity21601 -Fc-treated @entity19 . @entity21601 -Fc increased bone mass also in vertebrae (BV/TV +20%, Tb.N +30%, P   <   0.05) but the effects were more modest. The number of osteoclasts was decreased in histological analysis and the expression of several osteoblast marker genes was increased in @entity21601 -Fc treated @entity19 suggesting decreased bone resorption and increased bone formation in these @entity19 . Increased bone mass in femurs translated into enhanced bone strength in biomechanical testing as the maximum force and stiffness were significantly elevated in @entity21601 -Fc-treated @entity19 . CONCLUSIONS: Our results indicate that treatment of mdx @entity19 with the soluble @entity21601 -Fc results in a robust increase in bone mass, without any additive effect by @entity2798 . Thus @entity21601 -Fc could be an attractive option in the treatment of @entity85 .

Treatment with soluble activin type IIB-receptor improves bone mass and strength in a XXXX model of @entity1555 .

@entity4094 :: ('MESH:D009468', 'Disease') :: ['neuromuscular disorder'] @entity174 :: ('MESH:D050723', 'Disease') :: ['fractures'] @entity19 :: ('10090', 'Species') :: ['mice', 'mouse'] @entity21601 :: ('11481(Tax:10090)', 'Gene') :: ['activin receptor IIB', 'ActRIIB'] @entity1555 :: ('MESH:D020388', 'Disease') :: ['Duchenne muscular dystrophy', 'DMD'] @entity85 :: ('MESH:D009140', 'Disease') :: ['musculoskeletal disorders'] @entity121 :: ('MESH:D009135', 'Disease') :: ['muscle degeneration'] @entity2798 :: ('MESH:D009155', 'Disease') :: ['voluntary running']
@entity19 :: (10090,Species) :: ['mouse']
