Increased myofibrillar protein catabolism in duchenne muscular dystrophy measured by 3-methylhistidine excretion in the urine.

Myofibrillar protein catabolic rate was calculated in 50 young patients with Duchenne muscular dystrophy from the amount of 3-methylhistidine excreted in the urine, and was found to be about seven times that of a control series, expressed as the percentage of myofibrillar protein catabolized per day. This wastage of myofibrillar protein is a consequence of Duchenne muscular dystrophy and inhibition of protein degradation appears to be one possible approach in the treatment of this disease.