Negative halothane-caffeine contracture test in mdx (dystrophin-deficient) mice.

The genetics of malignant hyperthermia (MH) are ill-understood; however, the association of Duchenne muscular dystrophy (DMD) with MH is well known. A deficiency of dystrophin is common to both the DMD and mdx mouse, an animal model for DMD. Using muscle contracture tests for MH, we have shown that in the mdx mouse there is no MH susceptibility, suggesting the lack of a direct role of the dystrophin in the development of MH syndrome.