Heme oxygenase 1 (HO-1) is an enzyme with anti-inflammatory and antioxidant potential, encoded by the HMOX1 gene. Its level is high in the muscles of mdx mice and in the myoblasts of Duchenne muscular dystrophy patients derived from iPS cells.
- Inhibition of Hmox1 expression in mdx mice aggravates muscle damage, increases inflammation and reduces exercise capacity.
- During exercise, satellite cell proliferation is impaired in mdx mice, whereas it is restored in mdx mice with tamoxifen-induced HO-1 expression in Pax7+ cells.
