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The effect of dibutyryl cAMP on dystrophin mRNA expression was investigated in C2C12 myogenic cells by a semi-quantitative RT-PCR method. The dystrophin mRNA level was enhanced by the addition of low concentrations of dibutyryl cAMP for 16h in the growth medium. The relative amounts of dystrophin/G3PDH mRNA at 10−4M dibutyryl cAMP were about 2.6-fold higher compared to control. We examined MLCla mRNA expression in order to know whether the induction of dystrophin mRNA is due to the facilitation of myogenic differentiation by dibutyryl cAMP. MLCla mRNA expression at 10−4M dibutyryl cAMP was similar to that of control. Thus we conclude that the dibutyryl cAMP enhancement of dystrophin mRNA expression is not due to a secondary event involving the formation of differentiated myotubes. The induction of CREB mRNA by dibutyryl cAMP suggests that the up-regulation of dystrophin mRNA expression might occur via transcriptional activation.