Differential effects of disuse preceding denervation on the onset and development of fibrillation in fast and slow muscles

Summary Section of the sciatic nerve, performed after a week of muscular disuse, is followed by fibrillation earlier in the soleus (S) than in the anterior tibialis (AT) muscle of the rat. The subsequent development of fibrillation, which is different in the control denervated S as compared with the control denervated AT, tends to become similar in the disused-denervated muscles.This work was aided, in part, by a grant from U. I. L. D. M. (Unione Italiana Lotta alla Distrofia Muscolare), Sezione di Trieste.     

Muscle proteinase activities during compensatory growth and atrophy

Specific activities of cathepsins B and D, but not H, increased in both the tenotomized gastrocnemius and functionally overloaded soleus muscles, thus correlating with previously reported increases in protein degradation. Subsequent denervation of the overloaded soleus caused an additive increase in proteolysis, suggesting a possible greater lability of proteins in this muscle.     

Muscle proteinase activities during compensatory growth and atrophy

Summary Specific activities of cathepsins B and D, but not H, increased in both the tenotomized gastrocnemius and functionally overloaded soleus muscles, thus correlating with previously reported increases in protein degradation. Subsequent denervation of the overloaded soleus caused an additive increase in proteolysis, suggesting a possible greater lability of proteins in this muscle.     

A morphological study of delayed muscle soreness

Summary Biopsies, taken up to 1 week postexercise, from the soleus muscles of 5 healthy males (20–34 years old) suffering from pronounced exercise-induced delayed muscle soreness were analyzed morphologically. There was no evidence for ischemic tissue injury or mechanical fibre disruption. However, at the subcellular level frequent myofibrillar disturbances, especially with regard to the Z-bands, were noted. Thus, the contractile machinery of overloaded muscle fibres seemed to be partially distorted several days following exercise.     

Motor nerve terminal defect following tenotomy

Summary Post-tetanic potentiation and the underlying post-tetanic repetition in cat soleus muscle require normal motor nerve terminals. These indices of nerve terminal viability are depressed 10 days and absent 15 days after tenotomy of the soleus muscle.Supported in part by NIH grant NS-11948.     

Intramuscular comparison of myosin isozymes and light chains in rat extensor digitorum longus muscle

Complete muscle cross sections were obtained from the proximal and distal third regions of ten rat extensor digitorum longus muscles. Electrophoretic methods were then used to quantify the various myosin isozymes and light chains in each muscle specimen. The results demonstrated that the relative distribution of the various myosin isozyme and light chain variables do not vary significantly between the two sampling regions.     

Intramuscular comparison of myosin isozymes and light chains in rat extensor digitorum longus muscle

Summary Complete muscle cross sections were obtained from the proximal and distal third regions of ten rat extensor digitorum longus muscles. Electrophoretic methods were then used to quantify the various myosin isozymes and light chains in each muscle specimen. The results demonstrated that the relative distribution of the various myosin isozyme and light chain variables do not vary significantly between the two sampling regions.     

The effect of exercise on protein turnover in isolated soleus and extensor digitorum longus muscles

The rate of protein degradation was found to be increased in isolated soleus and extensor digitorum muscles of 60-80 g rats after exercise consisting of running for 120 min. These findings support the hypothesis that exercise causes an increase in skeletal muscle protein degradation, and that both red and white muscles are affected similarly.     

The effect of exercise on protein turnover in isolated soleus and extensor digitorium longus muscles

Summary The rate of protein degradation was found to be increased in isolated soleus and extensor digitorum muscles of 60–80 g rats after exercise consisting of running for 120 min. These findings support the hypothesis that exercise causes an increase in skeletal muscle protein degradation, and that both red and white muscles are affected similarly.     

Seasonal variation in the phenotype of adult ferret (Mustela putorius furo) cremaster muscle

Using immunocytochemistry, electrophoresis and immunoblotting, we studied the expression of fast and slow myosin heavy chain isoforms in adult ferret muscles during quiescent and breeding periods. Adult cremaster muscle expressed slow and fast myosin heavy chain in relatively similar amounts during the quiescent period. During the breeding period, the expression of slow myosin heavy chain I, significantly decreased, and fast myosin heavy chain II, was predominant. No alteration of the MHC pattern in EDL and soleus muscles was detected between the quiescent and breeding periods. The possible involvement of androgens and mechanical factors in the regulation of myosin heavy chain expression in adult cremaster muscle is discussed.     

Some ultrastructural observations on the denervated skeletal muscle of frog.

The frog skeletal muscle resists atrophy for a long time after denervation. If, however, the entry of the nerve is prevented for more than 3.5 months, small muscle portions, sometimes containing nucleus, are sequestered from the parent muscle fibre. The basal lamina does not dissociate from these detached muscle portions.     

Some ultrastructural observations on the denervated skeletal muscle of frog

Summary The frog skeletal muscle resists atrophy for a long time after denervation. If, however, the entry of the nerve is prevented for more than 3.5 months, small muscle portions, sometimes containing nucleus, are sequestered from the parent muscle fibre. The basal lamina does not dissociate from these detached muscle portions.     

Physiologische Untersuchungen an der innervierten glatten Muskulatur der Vogelfedern (Mm. pennarum)

Summary The tension development of the smooth feather muscles of the pigeon was measured (a) on the wing in situ (b) on an isolated innervated skin preparation and (c) on an isolated muscle preparation. The contraction produced by nerve stimulation is biphasic. The second phase can be blocked by -receptor blocking agents. The mechanism of the first phase is unknown. The preparation seems very suitable for the investigation of neuromuscular transmission in smooth muscle.     

Contractile properties of fast muscle preparations regenerating in slow muscle beds

Summary Mechanical evidence is presented to show that fast muscle tissue regenerating in the bed of a slow muscle, and innervated by the slow muscle nerve, has contractile properties identical to those of a slow muscle regenerating in its own bed. The results do not support the idea that regenerating fast muscles are partially resistant to the transforming effects of a slow nerve.This investigation was supported in part by NIH grants 1-RO1-NS-14033 and 1-T32-07224.     

Frequencygrams due to the stimulation of dynamic gamma axons exerting type II effects]

Frequencygrams are graphs giving indirect information on the contraction of intrafusal muscle fibres. Frequencygrams of Cat spindle primary endings (flexor hallucis longus, soleus and peroneus brevis muscles) were recorded during repetitive stimulation of dynamic gamma axons exerting type II effects. The features of these frequencygrams (periodic increments whose frequency is equal to that of the stimulation and "driving") show that they can be ascribed to a relatively strong and fast intrafusal contraction. Two interpretations are considered.     

Electromyographic responses elicited by cutaneous and mixed nerve stimulation in human tibialis anterior muscle

Summary The rectified and averaged myoelectrical responses of the anterior tibial muscle to stimulation of the posterior tibial, peroneal and sural nerves at the ankle were recorded during a weak isometric contraction in man. The stimulation of the posterior tibial nerve elicited two excitatory phases (short and long latency excitations) at 40 ms and 78 ms latencies, respectively, separated by a phase of reduced activity. With peroneal and sural nerve stimulation such triphasic responses were less consistent; only a monophasic inhibitory response occurred in some recordings. These results indicate that well-identifiable responses with distinct latencies can be obtained in human leg muscle with cutaneous and mixed nerve stimulation distal to the muscle.This work was supported by the Council of Physical Education and Sport (Ministry of Education), Finland.     

Der elektrophysiologische Nachweis der propriozeptiven Muskelafferenz und des monosynaptischen Reflexbogens der inneren Kehlkopfmuskeln

Summary On excitation of the superior laryngeal nerve and the recurrent nerve with single square wave shocks in patients undergoing total exstirpation of the larynx for cancer, a reflex potential can be recorded from the vocal muscle. This potential shows the criteria characteristic of the reflex potential arising on excitation of muscle spindles or the afferents of muscle spindles (la-fibres) in limb muscles. The pathway of afferent fibres is for the main part via the sup. lar. nerve but there seems to be an indication of a small part of afferents in the recurrent nerve also.     

Effect of a dipeptide inhibiting ubiquitin-mediated protein degradation on nerve-dependent limb regeneration in the newt

The dipeptide Leu-Ala, which inhibits ubiquitin-mediated protein degradation, has been shown to act in vitro as an inhibitor of neurite outgrowth of PC12 cells (Hondermarck et al. [1992] Biochem. Biophys. Res. Commun.189: 280). Using agarose beads as vehicles, we tested, in vivo, the effect of this dipeptide (and the inactive inverse, Ala-Leu, as a control) on limb regeneration in the newt (Triturus cristatus), a nerve-dependent developmental process. Leu-Ala inhibited the growth of mid-bud blastemas without altering blastema differentiation, while Ala-Leu had no effect. Cytological observations of dipeptide-treated blastemas using Bodian staining or neurofilament antibodies showed that all the blastema tissues were unmodified except with regard to innervation. Leu-Ala-treated blastemas were devoid of nerve fibers in the epidermal cap, while the mesenchyme distal to the dipeptide impregnated bead exhibited fewer nerve fibers than did Ala-Leu-treated blastemas, which were similar to the control nontreated blastemas. Thus, Leu-Ala, in reducing blastema innervation, inhibits its growth in the same manner as surgical denervation.     

Enzymatic activities of muscle fibres differentiated,in vitro,from pectoralis major (white) and adductor magnus (red) muscles of chick embryos

Summary Specific activities of NADP isocitrate dehydrogenase and acetylcholinesterase were significantly higher in muscle fibres differentiated, in vitro, from myoblasts of adductor magnus (red) than pectoralis major (white) muscles 10-day-old chick embryos. This is evidence, as far as enzyme activities, are concerned, that myoblasts from different types of skeletal muscles are able to give, in tissue culture, muscle fibres of different properties, even in the absence of nerve supply.Supported by a grant No. 75 7 1641 from the French Délégation à la Recherche scientifique et technique.     

Cardiac hypertrophy accelerated by left cervical sympathectomy in spontaneously hypertensive rats

Summary Cardiac hypertrophy in spontaneously hypertensive rats was accelerated by denervation of the left cervical sympathetic ganglia. Supersensitivity due to denervation may also exist in cardiac muscles.This work was supported by a grant of the Ministry of Education for 1980.