Avian muscular dystrophy: functional and biochemical improvement with diphenylhydantoin

Chicks affected with hereditary muscular dystrophy were injected twice daily with 20 milligrams of diphenylhydantoin per kilogram of body weight on days 1 to 40 after hatching. The righting ability of dystrophic chicks treated with diphenylhydantoin was improved compared to that of untreated dystrophic chicks, and acetylcholinesterase activity was reduced to normal levels in the posterior latissimus dorsi muscles.