Scientific Reports (2025). DMD, caused by Dmd mutation, was studied in Sprague–Dawley DMDmdx rats using histopathology, biochemistry, and RNA-seq of dystrophic skeletal muscle. DMDmdx rats showed multifocal necrosis, fibrosis, inflammation, elevated muscle-damage enzymes, reduced antioxidant defenses, and increased lipid peroxidation versus WT. RNA-seq identified 3,615 DEGs impacting contraction/ECM/cytoskeleton, with MAPK and immune pathways upregulated and ECM downregulated, underscoring intracellular-signaling targets and the DMDmdx rat’s translational value. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-025-14756-9