Aktivität der Aldolase und der Succinatdehydrogenase (SDH) in der weissen und roten Skelettmuskulatur junger und alter Ratten

Summary The activity of aldolase and succinatdehydrogenase (SDH) in white and red skeletal muscle of young (3–7 months) and old (20–30 months) rats has been determined. In addition also the SDH of liver was measured. The activity of aldolase is higher in white than in red muscles, while SDH shows a higher activity in red than in white muscles. The activity of aldolase is not influenced by ageing in white muscles, but decreased in red muscles by 23%. In old animals the activity of SDH is 34% less in white and 52% less in red muscles. In liver the activity is 44% less. The significance of these changes for the energy metabolism of skeletal muscle is discussed.     

Uptake and transport of exogenous peroxidase in the masticatory muscles of cats. Localization of ganglionic neurons]

Retrograde axonal transport of Horseradish peroxydase (HRP) has been used to trace the cells of origin of proprioceptive fibers in jaw-closing and jaw-opening muscles. After injection of HRP in young cats' masticatory muscles (masseteric, temporal, pterygoid, mylohyoid and digastric) labelled neurons were found in the ipsilateral semi-lunar ganglion and trigeminal mesencephalic nucleus. It is concluded that sensory endings are present in jaw-opening as in jaw-closing muscles; possibly the afferent fibers from muscle endings of the opener muscles have their somata in the mesencephalic nucleus, afferent fibers from tendinous receptors in the semi-lunar ganglion.     

Der Gehalt an freien ninhydrinpositiven verbindungen im Extremitätengewebe vonAmblystoma mexicanum

Summary On investigating the free amino acid pool in skin and muscles of the stylopode ofAmblystoma forelimbs, 39 ninhydrine positive substances could be detected from which 29 have been identified. High quantitative differences between skin and muscles could be shown.     

Histochemistry of some trout respiratory muscles

Summary A histochemical study has been made of the main cranial muscles which produce ventilation movements of the rainbow trout. It is shown that a greater proportion of red(aerobic) fibres is present in those muscles known to be active during shallow ventilation than those which become active at greater ventilation volumes. An ordered recruitment of red, pink and white fibres within these muscles is also likely.This work was carried out when I.A. Johnston was holding an NERC Post-Doctoral Research Fellowship (1973–75).     

Electron spin resonance spectra of white,cardiac and various red skeletal muscles of the carp,Cyprinus carpio L

Résumé Les mesures de résonance paramagnétique électronique effectuées jusqu' à présent sur le muscle n'ont pas tenu compte de la différentiation de ce tissu en muscles blancs et rouges. Nous avons comparé les signaux du muscle blanc, du muscle cardiaque et de divers muscles rouges de carpe. Le muscle blanc présente une très faible intensité; le myocarde et différents muscles rouges donnent des valeurs plus élevées en accord avec leur plus grande teneur en mitochondries. Le muscle rouge de la ligne latérale se distingue toutefois des autres muscles rouges par un signal environ 2×plus intense dû, comme le montrent des examens histologiques, à la présence dans ce cas de mélanocytes situés le long de faisceaux conjonctifs et de capillaires sanguins.     

Decreased rates of Ca2+-dependent heat production in slow- and fast-twitch muscles from the dystrophic (mdx) mouse

Using a newly developed microcalorimetric approach to assess the rate of energy expenditure for intracellular [Ca²⁺] homeostasis in isolated muscles at rest, we found this was lower inmdx than in control mouse muscles, by 62% and 29% in soleus and extensor digitorum longus, respectively. Differences in total and Ca²⁺-dependent rates of specific heat production betweenmdx and control were enhanced during sustained, KCl-induced stimulation of energy dissipation. These results suggest that the low sacroplasmic energy status of dystrophic muscles is not due to any excessive energy expenditure for intracellular [Ca²⁺] homeostasis.     

Biochemical efficiency and intrinsic shortening speed in selected vertebrate fast and slow muscles

Summary The biochemical efficiency was measured in iodoacetate N₂ and NaCN-treated muscles by dividing the work done by the amount of phosphoryl creatine hydrolysed when contracting at their optimum velocity. An inverse relationship was found between the intrinsic speed of shortening (V_max) of the muscles and their mechanochemical efficiency.     

Über die submikroskopische Organisation der Glanzstreifen (Eberthlinien) der Vorhof- und Kammermuskulatur des Herzens

Summary By means of polarization microscope, the submicroscopic structure of intercalated discs in auricle and ventricle muscles of rat heart were investigated using an imbibition method and precipitation anisotropic staining. The investigation proved that the protein and lipid parts in intercalated discs of auricle muscles are, on the contrary, arranged like intercalated discs of ventricle muscles.The ultrastructural variance revealed can be explained by mechanical effects exerted by the myofibrils on the plasma membranes which separate the adjacent heart muscle cells.     

Conduction,automaticity, and tonus of visceral muscles

Résumé Les muscles lisses des Vertébrés appartiennent à deux catégories: ceux des viscères, lesquels ont une fonction automatique, et ceux qui comme les muscles des vaisseaux sanguins sont innervés par les nerfs moteurs. Les propriétés physiologiques des muscles lisses viscéraux sont très semblables à celles du muscle cardiaque ainsi que l'a montré l'étude de la conduction, du potentiel d'action et des effets du courant électrique. Les particularités des muscles lisses viscéraux tiennent en grande partie à la lenteur de leur réaction et aux fluctuations que présente leur excitabilité. Cette dernière est influencée par des facteurs tels que des hormones, des excitations transmises par les nerfs extrinsèques et, dans le cas de l'intestin, par le système nerveux intrinsèque. Les contractions spontanées débutent par une activité locale qui augmente lentement et se manifeste par un changement du potentiel et un accroissement du «tonus». Le tonus se produit dans les muscles lisses par diverses modifications de l'état physiologique. Rien ne prouve qu'il soit provoqué par un mécanisme essentiellement différent de celui des contractions rapides.     

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.     

In vitro stability and protein composition of thick filaments from insect flight muscles

Thick and thin filaments of synchronous and asynchronous insect flight muscles were separated by density gradient centrifugation. A good release of myofilaments from myofibrils was obtained by sonication of myofibrils in relaxing solution with pH 6.1 (locust), pH 6.4 (honeybee) and pH 6.6 (fleshfly), respectively. Thick filaments but not thin filaments were dissolved, if sucrose gradient centrifugation was used to separate the filaments. Thus, sucrose gradients are the medium of choice if actin filaments are to be purified. Glycerol-containing gradients selectively dissolved myosin filaments from fleshfly muscles. The stability of the myosin filaments of all muscles was sufficient in gradients with 10–30% formamide.     

Effect of insulin in vivo on the synthesis of free fatty acids (FFA) in chicken heart and skeletal muscle

Summary The effect of insulin on the synthesis of free fatty acids from glucose in the skeletal and heart muscles of chicken is examined. 10 min after glucose-(U-¹⁴C) administration, labeled free fatty acids (FFA) appeared in both skeletal and heart muscles. 0.75 IU of insulin kg^–1 b. wt significantly increased the labeled FFA at the 30, 60 and 120 min intervals, with a maximum at 60 min.     

The tension/length relationship of an insect (Calliphora erythrocephala) supercontracting muscle

Summary The tension/length curves of an insect supercontracting striated muscle are described. Both vertebrate and invertebrate smooth (non-striated) muscles show a close similarity to these curves. Thus, although insects possess only striated muscle, some of these muscles can perform the function of smooth muscle of other animals.I would like to thank Dr.M. P. Osborne for supervizing this work which was supported by an S. R. C. studentship.     

Composition du suc de décongélation du muscle strié de la grenouille

Summary Because of cell membrane destruction, fluid escaping a muscle on thawing contains a large amount of proteins (myogen and globulin X). Whilst usual gradientsa, b, andc are present in the fluid, the gradientsd ande also occurring in extracts of unstimulated frog muscles are replaced by the gradientx already found in extracts of in N₂ exhausted muscles.     

Effects of inhibition and stimulation of Na+−K+ active transport on the resting membrane input conductance of the guinea-pig ventricle

Summary The effects of inhibition by ouabain and stimulation by high frequency drive of the sarcolemmal Na⁺–K⁺ active transport system on the resting input conductance (g_i) of guinea-pig ventricular muscles were determined. Although both pump inhibition and stimulation were associated with changes in electrophysiological properties of the muscles, neither had a significant effect on g_i.Supported by a grant from the North Carolina Heart Association.     

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.     

Action of insulin on the glycogen content of liver and muscle of the murrel,Ophicephalus striatus (Bloch)

Résumé Des doses variées d'insuline administrées à l'Ophicephalus striatus ont augmenté la quantité de glycogène du foie et des muscles. Dans le foie, les doses étant fortes (40 IU et 60 IU), la quantité normale de glycogène a presque quadruplé et elle a plus que septuplé dans les muscles. Le mécanisme possible présidant à l'action de l'insuline est aussi discuté.     

Myosin isoenzymes during in vivo and in vitro differentiation of chick muscles

Muscle fibers differentiated, in vitro, from myoblasts of embryonic Pectoralis (presumptive fast) and embryonic Adductor magnus (presumptive slow) muscles synthesise the same type of myosin, which is identical to the type synthesised in day 10 embryonic muscles. This type of myosin comigrates with the third isozyme of the adult fast-twitch muscle. There is no change in the kind of myosin in cultures aged from 2 to 7 weeks, whereas during the in vivo differentiation of the same muscles, new isozymes appear which are different in the two muscles. With regard to myosin, the muscle fibers differentiated, in vitro, from myoblasts of fast or slow muscles expressed the same phenotype.     

Dystrophin-dependent efficiency of metabolic pathways in mouse skeletal muscles

Muscles from themdx mouse (X-linked genetic disorder similar to Duchenne muscular dystrophy) lack dystrophin-associated transsarcolemmal proteins¹ and show reduced maintenance metabolic rates². Here, microcalorimetric comparisons of metabolic stimulation by exogenous substrates in isolated muscles revealed substrate-selective limitation of chemical reaction rates through both glycolytic and TCA-cycle pathways, identical in slow- and fast-twitchmdx muscles. This systemic approach, as opposed to comparisons of single-enzyme activities, sheds new light on the function of dystrophin and associated proteins. The in vivo efficiency of metabolic pathways may depend on stabilization of enzyme complexes by dystrophin-associated elements of the cytoskeleton.     

Increased susceptibility to lipid peroxidation in skeletal muscles of dystrophic hamsters

Summary The results showed that the total content of lipids, which could be peroxidized with Fe(2+)/ascorbate stimulation in vitro, was 45.4% and 53.7% higher than normal in the dystrophic hamster muscle at the age of 1 and 3 months, respectively. Correspondingly, the susceptibility to lipid peroxidation (stimulated by ADP-chelated iron at 37°C) was 38.6–74.3% higher in dystrophic muscles. The increases were not related to necrotic lesions and inflammation observed. The activities of glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase, glutathione reductase, thioredoxin reductase and catalase were increased in dystrophic muscles but those of superoxide dismutases and glutathione peroxidase were unaffected.