A major cause of muscular damage in the myopathies is Oxidative Stress.

Many articles show the role played by oxidative stress in magnifying the problems in various of the myopathies. Some authors even suggest it as a causative basis.

• For example "Oxidative stress may be the fundamental basis of many of the structural, functional and biochemical changes characteristic of the inherited muscular dystrophies in animals and humans." (Murphy, Kehrer 2002). [1]

• "Enhanced expression of NOS with production of nitric oxide may contribute to oxidative stress mediating muscle fiber damage and muscle fiber necrosis representing the predominant cell death mechanism in myositis." (Tews, Goebel 1998) [2]

• Another study in the Journal Muscle and Nerve shows a positive relationship between oxidative stress and muscle wasting. (Moylan, Reid. 2007) [3]

• An authoritative article that discusses the mechanisms of oxidative stress in IIM in general, and then with regards to the Jo-1/HisRS target in particular.  It is articles like this that humble me, and make me want to retire and leave this work to more intelligent people. [4]

I believe these studies and others similar establish that oxidative stress has a damaging effect on muscle cells in various of the myopathies including polymyositis, and that minimizing oxidative stress may help alleviate syptoms and damage caused by free radicals.

See also The role of oxidative stress in skeletal muscle injury and regeneration: focus on antioxidant enzymes    http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4762917/

 

 

Footnotes:

1. Murphy M, Kehrer J. Oxidative Stress and Muscular Dystrophy. Chemico-Biological Interactions, V69 I2-3 P101-173, 1989 as found at VIEW

2. Tews DS, Goebel HH. Cell death and oxidative damage in inflammatory myopathies. Clin. Immunol Immunopathol, 87(3):240-7, 1998 as found at VIEW

3. Moylan J, Reid M. Oxidative stress, chronic disease, and muscle wasting. Muscle Nerve, 35: 411–429, 2007 as found at VIEW

4. Pruijn GJM, van Venrooj WJ. A radical view on the development of myositis; Oxidative and nitrosative stress-induced autoantigen modifications. Radboud Universiteit Nijmegen, ISBN: 9789090264219, 2012 as found at VIEW