Duchenne muscular dystrophy: normal ATP turnover in cultured cells.

We examined ATP metabolism in cultured muscle cells and fibroblasts from patients with Duchenne dystrophy. ATP and ADP levels were the same in cultured cells from normal subjects and patients, and there was no difference in ATP synthesis or degradation. Although there was a significant decrease in radioactively labeled ATP after incubation with deoxyglucose in Duchenne muscle cells, there was no difference in ATP concentration or ADP metabolism.