The pan HDAC inhibitor Givinostat improves muscle function and histological parameters in two Duchenne muscular dystrophy murine models expressing different haplotypes of the LTBP4 gene

BACKGROUND: In the search of genetic determinants of Duchenne muscular dystrophy (DMD) severity, LTBP4, a member of the latent TGF-β binding protein family, emerged as an important predictor of functional outcome trajectories in mice and humans. Nonsynonymous single-nucleotide polymorphisms in LTBP4 gene associate with prolonged ambulation in DMD patients, whereas an in-frame insertion polymorphism in the mouse LTBP4 locus modulates disease severity in mice by altering proteolytic stability of the Ltbp4 protein and release of transforming growth factor-β (TGF-β). Givinostat, a pan-histone deacetylase inhibitor currently in phase III clinical trials for DMD treatment, significantly reduces fibrosis in muscle tissue and promotes the increase of the cross-sectional area (CSA) of muscles in mdx mice. In this study, we investigated the activity of Givinostat in mdx and in D2.B10 mice, two mouse models expressing different Ltbp4 variants and developing mild or more severe disease as a function of Ltbp4 polymorphism. METHODS: Givinostat and steroids were administrated for 15 weeks in both DMD murine models and their efficacy was evaluated by grip strength and run to exhaustion functional tests. Histological examinations of skeletal muscles were also performed to assess the percentage of fibrotic area and CSA increase. RESULTS: Givinostat treatment increased maximal normalized strength to levels that were comparable to those of healthy mice in both DMD models. The effect of Givinostat in both grip strength and exhaustion tests was dose-dependent in both strains, and in D2.B10 mice, Givinostat outperformed steroids at its highest dose. The in vivo treatment with Givinostat was effective in improving muscle morphology in both mdx and D2.B10 mice by reducing fibrosis. CONCLUSION: Our study provides evidence that Givinostat has a significant effect in ameliorating both muscle function and histological parameters in mdx and D2.B10 murine models suggesting a potential benefit also for patients with a poor prognosis LTBP4 genotype. SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1186/s13395-021-00273-6.