Phenytoin, methysergide, and penicillamine in hereditary muscular dystrophy of the chicken

Abstract Chickens with an inherited muscular dystrophy (line 413) were treated from days 1 through 90 ex ovo with either phenytoin, methysergide, or d -penicillamine. Under the conditions of the study, phenytoin and methysergide were equally effective in improving the righting ability of dystrophic birds, but penicillamine had little or no effect. Phenytoin and penicillamine decreased the abnormally high creatine kinase activity in dystrophic plasma, but only phenytoin reduced the high acetylcholinesterase activity in plasma and fast-twitch muscles of dystrophic birds. Beneficial effects of methysergide and phenytoin were also shown in trials as short as 25 days. None of the treatments, improved the abnormal histological appearance of dystrophic muscles.