Duchenne muscular dystrophy is a genetic disease that is clinically manifested by progressive muscle atrophy, followed by loss of strength, motor coordination and functional impairment. In the final stages of the disease, the patient has severe difficulty in breathing mechanics, due to the involvement of the muscles involved with the mechanics of breathing, including the diaphragm. The present study sought to identify the effects of creatine monohydrate supplementation in MDX mice on the morphology, morphometry and stereology of the striated muscle tissue of the diaphragm of these animals. The results indicate that, despite not influencing the increase in cell volume, supplementation acts in an anti-inflammatory way, reducing the progressive process of fibrosis that occurs in these animals in the face of muscle atrophy followed by the replacement of muscle parenchyma by connective tissue. in this way, supplementation provides a better condition for tissue maintenance, enabling more survival of MDX mice. Monohydrate creatine supplementation has been shown to be a complementary therapeutic alternative, especially for muscular dystrophies and severe myopathies.

Creatine is a dietary supplement with the potential to stimulate the phosphocreatine pathway and protein synthesis, through the stimulation of PI3eK/AKT and mTOR responsible for the proliferation and differentiation of satellite cells, responsible for hypertrophy. The present study aimed to evaluate the morphological effects of the use of creatine monohydrate on the soleus muscle tissue of 26-month-old Wistar rats. Methods: Twelve Wistar rats were divided into two groups of six animals each. Group 1 was not supplemented with creatine and received a standard diet consisting of water and food. Group 2 received the same diet, but was supplemented with creatine monohydrate at a dose of 0.03 mg/kg of body weight diluted in 200 ml of drinking water for 8 weeks. Results: The supplementation promoted morphological and morphometric effects on the soleus muscle tissue, promoting changes in the perimeter and area of the muscles of the animals treated with the supplement. It is estimated that this supplement may promote, in addition to increasing the cross-sectional area of myocytes, increased stimulation of the protein synthesis pathway associated with PI3K/AKT.