Activation in frog atrial trabeculae: dependence on temperature and length

1990 ◽  
Vol 258 (4) ◽  
pp. H1087-H1096
Author(s):  
P. J. Reiser ◽  
B. D. Lindley

Isolated frog atrial trabeculae were activated using the method of Na+ withdrawal to induce contractures of relatively steady tension. External Na+ concentration [( Na+]o) during contractures was varied between 0.25 and 45 mM. Isometric contracture tension was measured at cold (4 degrees C) and warm (20 degrees C) temperatures. In addition, rapid temperature jumps (complete in approximately 400 ms) were imposed during cold contractures, resulting in tension transients that consisted of an initial increase in tension followed by a decrease, the latter phase being greater at small and moderate reductions in [Na+]o. Peak contracture tension varied with relative muscle length. The trabeculae became more sensitive with stretch to Na+ withdrawal at 20 degrees C and generated relatively greater tensions at a given [Na+]o. The initial tension increase after a temperature jump was directly proportional to the peak contracture tension immediately preceding the increase in temperature and was therefore interpreted as reflecting an effect of the higher temperature on the attached force-generating cross bridges. The effects of cold and warm steady temperatures and temperature jumps during isometric twitches were also studied. Peak twitch tension varied inversely with temperature (stimulus frequency = 0.2 Hz). In contrast, temperature jumps imposed during the rising phase of twitches at a steady cold temperature (approximately 4 degrees C) resulted in a large initial increase in tension followed by relaxation at a rate that was characteristic of the elevated temperature. The results suggest that, at the warmer temperature (approximately 20 degrees C), activation (i.e., number of attached cross bridges) of the myocardium is significantly less than maximal during the twitch response. The dependence of the tension vs. [Na+]o curves and the tension transients resulting from the temperature jumps on relative muscle length provide evidence for a length dependency of contractile activation in intact atrial trabeculae under conditions of steady-state tension development.

1987 ◽  
Vol 253 (3) ◽  
pp. C484-C493 ◽  
Author(s):  
R. A. Meiss

The stiffness of isometrically contracting mesotubarium superius and ovarian ligament smooth muscle from estrous female rabbits was measured continuously by using sinusoidal length perturbations (at 80 Hz, less than 15 microns peak to peak). Muscles were stimulated with alternating current fields, and all records were digitized using a microcomputer system. Phase-angle data were used to resolve computed stiffness into elastic and viscous components. Stiffness measurements were continued during long ramp-type stretches (up to 25% of muscle length) delivered as soon as force was maximal. To use the period of isometric tension development as a standard for comparison, the expected stiffness was computed during the long stretch. Stiffness was reduced in approximate proportion to the ramp stretch rate, and the reduction was confined largely to the elastic component. Cooling the muscle increased the stiffness deviation at a given stretch rate. It is proposed that the long stretch detaches cross bridges that can reattach to new sites as myofilaments shear past one another. At higher shearing speeds, less time is available for reattachment and stiffness is further reduced.


1999 ◽  
Vol 86 (2) ◽  
pp. 488-495 ◽  
Author(s):  
François-Xavier Blanc ◽  
Sergio Salmeron ◽  
Catherine Coirault ◽  
Martin Bard ◽  
Elie Fadel ◽  
...  

Isotonic and isometric properties of nine human bronchial smooth muscles were studied under various loading and tone conditions. Freshly dissected bronchial strips were electrically stimulated successively at baseline, after precontraction with 10−7 M methacholine (MCh), and after relaxation with 10−5 M albuterol (Alb). Resting tension, i.e., preload determining optimal initial length ( L o) at baseline, was held constant. Compared with baseline, MCh decreased muscle length to 93 ± 1% L o( P < 0.001) before any electrical stimulation, whereas Alb increased it to 111 ± 3% L o( P < 0.01). MCh significantly decreased maximum unloaded shortening velocity (0.045 ± 0.007 vs. 0.059 ± 0.007 L o/s), maximal extent of muscle shortening (8.4 ± 1.2 vs. 13.9 ± 2.4% L o), and peak isometric tension (6.1 ± 0.8 vs. 7.2 ± 1.0 mN/mm2). Alb restored all these contractile indexes to baseline values. These findings suggest that MCh reversibly increased the number of active actomyosin cross bridges under resting conditions, limiting further muscle shortening and active tension development. After the electrically induced contraction, muscles showed a transient phase of decrease in tension below preload. This decrease in tension was unaffected by afterload levels but was significantly increased by MCh and reduced by Alb. These findings suggest that the cross bridges activated before, but not during, the electrically elicited contraction may modulate the phase of decrease in tension below preload, reflecting the active part of resting tension.


1991 ◽  
Vol 66 (6) ◽  
pp. 1838-1846 ◽  
Author(s):  
R. K. Powers ◽  
M. D. Binder

1. The tension produced by the combined stimulation of two to four single motor units of the cat tibialis posterior muscle was compared with the algebraic sum of the tensions produced by each individual motor unit. Comparisons were made under isometric conditions and during imposed changes in muscle length. 2. Under isometric conditions, the tension resulting from combined stimulation of units displayed marked nonlinear summation, as previously reported in other cat hindlimb muscles. On average, the measured tension was approximately 20% greater than the algebraic sum of the individual unit tensions. However, small trapezoidal movements imposed on the muscle during stimulation significantly reduced the degree of nonlinear summation both during and after the movement. This effect was seen with imposed movements as small as 50 microns. 3. The degree of nonlinear summation was not dependent on motor unit size or on stimulus frequency. The effect was also unrelated to tendon compliance because the degree of nonlinear summation of motor unit forces was unaffected by the inclusion of different amounts of the external tendon between the muscle and the force transducer. 4. Our results support previous suggestions that the force measured when individual motor units are stimulated under isometric conditions is reduced by friction between the active muscle fibers and adjacent passive fibers. These frictional effects are likely to originate in the connective tissue matrix connecting adjacent muscle fibers. However, because these effects are virtually eliminated by small movements, linear summation of motor unit tensions should occur at low force levels under nonisometric conditions.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)


1987 ◽  
Vol 65 (8) ◽  
pp. 1798-1801 ◽  
Author(s):  
J. M. Renaud ◽  
R. B. Stein ◽  
T. Gordon

Changes in force and stiffness during contractions of mouse extensor digitorum longus and soleus muscles were measured over a range of extracellular pH from 6.4 to 7.4. Muscle stiffness was measured using small amplitude (<0.1% of muscle length), high frequency (1.5 kHz) oscillations in length. Twitch force was not significantly affected by changes in pH, but the peak force during repetitive stimulation (2, 3, and 20 pulses) was decreased significantly as the pH was reduced. Changes in muscle stiffness with pH were in the same direction, but smaller in extent. If the number of attached cross-bridges in the muscle can be determined from the measurement of small amplitude, high frequency muscle stiffness, then these findings suggest that (a) the number of cross-bridges between thick and thin filaments declines in low pH and (b) the average force per cross-bridge also declines in low pH. The decline in force per cross-bridge could arise from a reduction in the ability of cross-bridges to generate force during their state of active force production and (or) in an increased percentage of bonds in a low force, "rigor" state.


1976 ◽  
Vol 231 (5) ◽  
pp. 1501-1508 ◽  
Author(s):  
MJ Siegman ◽  
TM Butler ◽  
SU Mooers ◽  
RE Davies

Mechanical responses to stretch and length-tension relations were examined in rabbit taenia coli, mesenteric vein, aorta, and myometrium and in guinea pig taenia coli made atonic by incubation in Krebs-bicarbonate solution at 20-22 degrees C. When stretched 10% of the length at which maximum active tension is observed (Lo) in 0.5 s, the muscles showed a transient large force (resistance to stretch) that decayed to a new constant level within minutes (stress relaxation). The resistance to stretch decreased markedly in Ca2+-free [disodium ethylene glycolbis-(beta-aminoethylether)-N,N-tetraacetic acid (EGTA)] Krebs but was restored in normal Krebs solution. Calcium removal did not affect the passive length-tension curve. The absence of Ca2+ did not change the steady-state force maintained by the muscle; thus stretch resistance was not due to tone. Blockade of Ca2+ influx associated with electrical activity with 5-[3,4-dimethoxyphenethyl)methylamino]-2-(3,4,5-trimethoxyphenyl-2-isoprop ylvaleronitrile (D-600) and of Ca2+ release from intracellular sites with thymol (1 mM) completely blocked contraction but did not alter the responses to stretch, thus dissociating the responses to stretch from these processes and tension development. The Ca2+-dependent stress relaxation showed a dependence on muscle length similar to that for active tension development. Except at long muscle lengths, where connective tissue markedly affects length-tension relations, most of the "viscoelasticity" of these smooth muscles is dependent on calcium and may be largely due to the straining of crossbridges that are attached, but not generating a net force, in the resting state.


1991 ◽  
Vol 260 (3) ◽  
pp. H785-H795
Author(s):  
C. Lynch

Contractions of guinea pig papillary muscles were studied at 37 degrees C under a variety of conditions and stimulation rates that markedly alter the pattern of tension development. When rested-state contractions (RSCs) were enhanced by treatments that increase intracellular adenosine 3',5'-cyclic monophosphate (0.1-1 microM isoproterenol, 1-10 microM forskolin), a markedly enhanced late peak tension developed after a 100-ms delay. Such late peak tension was selectively depressed by local anesthetics (200-400 microM procaine, 4-10 microM tetracaine, or 0.5-1 mM ethyl aminobenzoate). In contrast, 0.1-1 microM ryanodine had little effect on late peak tension, whereas 5 mM caffeine reduced the delay before tension development. Inotropic interventions such as increased external Ca2+ concentration or the Ca2+ channel agonist BAY K 8644 did not elicit such distinct late peaking RSCs. Rapid initial tension development observed under a variety of situations (short cycle lengths, stimulation rates of 0.25 Hz plus isoproterenol, decreased external Na+ concentration) was markedly depressed by 0.01-1 microM ryanodine and by caffeine, whereas local anesthetics had little effect. These results suggest two pharmacologically distinct types of sarcoplasmic reticulum Ca2+ release: 1) Ca2+ that accumulates during prior depolarizations is released immediately upon depolarization and decreased by ryanodine and caffeine; 2) extracellular Ca2+ that enters the myocyte is accumulated and released after an initial delay and is selectively depressed by low concentrations of local anesthetics.


1991 ◽  
Vol 71 (6) ◽  
pp. 2309-2316 ◽  
Author(s):  
B. T. Ameredes ◽  
M. W. Julian ◽  
T. L. Clanton

The effects of inspired O2 on diaphragm tension development during fatigue were assessed using isovelocity (n = 6) and isometric (n = 6) muscle contractions performed during a series of exposures to moderate hypoxia [fraction of inspired O2 (FIO2) = 0.13], hyperoxia (FIO2 = 1), and severe hypoxia (FIO2 = 0.09). Muscle strips were created in situ from the canine diaphragm, attached to a linear ergometer, and electrically stimulated (30 Hz) to contract (contraction = 1.5 s/relaxation = 2 s) from optimal muscle length (Lo = 8.9 cm). Isovelocity contractions shortened to 0.70 Lo, resulting in a mean power output of 210 mW/cm2. Fatigue trials of 35 min duration were performed while inspired O2 was sequentially changed between the experimental mixtures and normoxia (FIO2 = 0.21) for 5-min periods. In this series, severe hypoxia consistently decreased isovelocity tension development by an average of 0.1 kg/cm2 (P less than 0.05), which was followed by a recovery of tension (P less than 0.05) on return to normoxia. These responses were not consistently observed in isometric trials. Neither isovelocity nor isometric tension development was influenced by moderate hypoxia or hyperoxia. These results demonstrate that the in situ diaphragm is relatively insensitive to rapid changes in O2 supply over a broad range and that the tension development of the shortening diaphragm appears to be more susceptible to severe hypoxia during fatigue. This may reflect a difference in either the metabolic or blood flow characteristics of shortening contractions of the diaphragm.


2000 ◽  
Vol 89 (3) ◽  
pp. 869-876 ◽  
Author(s):  
Chun Y. Seow ◽  
Victor R. Pratusevich ◽  
Lincoln E. Ford

Force-velocity curves measured at different times during tetani of sheep trachealis muscle were analyzed to assess whether velocity slowing could be explained by thick-filament lengthening. Such lengthening increases force by placing more cross bridges in parallel on longer filaments and decreases velocity by reducing the number of filaments spanning muscle length. From 2 s after the onset of stimulation, when force had achieved 42% of it final value, to 28 s, when force had been at its tetanic plateau for ∼15 s, velocity decreases were exactly matched by force increases when force was adjusted for changes in activation, as assessed from the maximum power value in the force-velocity curves. A twofold change in velocity could be quantitatively explained by a series-to-parallel change in the filament lattice without any need to postulate a change in cross-bridge cycling rate.


1986 ◽  
Vol 251 (1) ◽  
pp. H127-H132 ◽  
Author(s):  
J. E. Ponce-Hornos ◽  
A. C. Taquini

The effects of changing external Ca concentration ([Ca]o) on contractile parameters and heat production were investigated in the interventricular rabbit septa and the dog papillary muscle. Double reciprocal plots of tension development as a function of [Ca]o yielded half-maximal activation values of 1.04 +/- 0.17 and 2.8 +/- 0.7 mM Ca for the septum and papillary muscle, respectively. Resting heat rate was similar in both preparations, 1.9 +/- 0.08 mW . g-1 for the septum and 1.7 +/- 0.07 mW . g-1 for the papillary muscle, and it was not altered by changes in [Ca]o. Active heat production (Ha) normalized per unit of force developed (19 +/- 1.3 microJ . mN-1 . g-1) for the septum and the dimensionless ratio Ha/(To . lo), (0.30 +/- 0.02) for the papillary muscle, where To is the isometric tension and lo, the muscle length, remained unaltered with changes in [Ca]o. Total heat production per beat normalized per unit of force developed (Ht/T) for the septum and the ratio Ht/(To . lo) for the papillary muscle decreased hyperbolically with [Ca]o. Therefore, as a result of the unaltered economy of the contractile system and the unchanged resting heat rate, muscle economy improves as [Ca]o approaches physiological levels. Further increase in [Ca]o, over the physiological levels, can only slightly improve muscle economy.


2019 ◽  
Vol 126 (4) ◽  
pp. 1117-1128 ◽  
Author(s):  
Tetsunori Ikegami ◽  
Michael Ji ◽  
Naoyuki Fujimura ◽  
Jenny V. Suneby Jagers ◽  
Teresa M. Kieser ◽  
...  

In humans and other mammals, isocapnic hypoxia sustained for 20–60 min exhibits a biphasic ventilation pattern: initial increase followed by a significant ventilatory decline (“roll-off”) to a lesser intermediate plateau. During sustained hypoxia, the mechanical action and activity of the diaphragm have not been studied; thus we assessed diaphragm function in response to hypoxic breathing. Thirteen spontaneously breathing awake canines were exposed to moderate levels of sustained isocapnic hypoxia lasting 20–25 min (80 ± 2% pulse oximeter oxygen saturation). Breathing pattern and changes in muscle length and electromyogram (EMG) activity of the costal and crural diaphragm were continuously recorded. Mean tidal shortening and EMG activity of the costal and crural diaphragm exhibited an overall biphasic pattern, with initial brisk increase followed by a significant decline ( P < 0.01). Although costal and crural shortening did not differ significantly with sustained hypoxia, this equivalence in segmental shortening occurred despite distinct and differing EMG activities of the costal and crural segments. Specifically, initial hypoxia elicited a greater costal EMG activity compared with crural ( P < 0.05), whereas sustained hypoxia resulted in a lesser crural EMG decline/attenuation than costal ( P < 0.05). We conclude that sustained isocapnic hypoxia elicits a biphasic response in both ventilation and diaphragmatic function and there is clear differential activation and contribution of the two diaphragmatic segments. This different diaphragm segmental action is consistent with greater neural activation of costal diaphragm during initial hypoxia, then preferential sparing of crural activation as hypoxia is sustained. NEW & NOTEWORTHY In humans and other mammals, during isocapnic hypoxia sustained for 20–60 min ventilation exhibits a biphasic pattern: initial increase followed by significant ventilatory decline (“roll-off”). During sustained hypoxia, the function of the diaphragm is unknown. This study demonstrates that the diaphragm reveals a biphasic action during the time-dependent hypoxic “roll-off” in ventilation. These results also highlight that the two diaphragm segments, costal and crural, show differing, distinctive contributions to diaphragm function during sustained hypoxia.


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