The Effects of Non-Weight Bearing on Skeletal Muscle in Older Rats: an Interrupted Bout versus an Uninterrupted Bout

2004 ◽  
Vol 5 (3) ◽  
pp. 195-202 ◽  
Author(s):  
Alissa Guildner Gehrke ◽  
Margaret Sheie Krull ◽  
Robin Shotwell McDonald ◽  
Tracy Sparby ◽  
Jessica Thoele ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Skeletal Muscle ◽  
Fiber Type ◽  
Weight Bearing ◽  
Cross Sectional Area ◽  
Type I ◽  
Type Ii ◽  
Sectional Area ◽  
Cross Sectional ◽  
Age Related ◽  
Type Ii Fibers

Age-related changes in skeletal muscle, in combination with bed rest, may result in a poorer rehabilitation potential for an elderly patient. The purpose of this study was to determine the effects of non-weight bearing (hind limb unweighting [HU]) on the soleus and extensor digitorum longus (EDL) in older rats. Two non-weight bearing conditions were used: an uninterrupted bout of HU and an interrupted bout of HU. Twenty-one rats were randomly placed into 1 of 3 groups: control, interrupted HU (2 phases of 7 days of HU, separated by a 4-day weight-bearing phase) and an uninterrupted HU (18 uninterrupted days of HU). Following non-weight bearing, the soleus and EDL muscles were removed. Fiber type identification was performed by myofibrillar ATPase and cross-sectional area was determined. The findings suggest that any period of non-weight bearing leads to a decrease in muscle wet weight (19%-45%). Both type I and type II fibers of the soleus showed atrophy (decrease in cross-sectional area, 35%-44%) with an uninterrupted bout of non-weight bearing. Only the type II fibers of the soleus showed recovery with an interrupted bout of weight bearing. In the EDL, type II fibers were more affected by an uninterrupted bout of non-weight bearing (15% decrease in fiber size) compared to the type I fibers. EDL type II fibers showed more atrophy with interrupted bouts of non-weight bearing than with a single bout (a 40% compared to a 15% decrease). This study shows that initial weight bearing after an episode of non-weight bearing may be damaging to type II fibers of the EDL.

scholarly journals Administration of a soluble activin type IIB receptor promotes skeletal muscle growth independent of fiber type

2010 ◽  
Vol 109 (3) ◽  
pp. 635-642 ◽  
Author(s):  
Samuel M. Cadena ◽  
Kathleen N. Tomkinson ◽  
Travis E. Monnell ◽  
Matthew S. Spaits ◽  
Ravindra Kumar ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Skeletal Muscle ◽  
Musculoskeletal Diseases ◽  
Fiber Type ◽  
Cross Sectional Area ◽  
Soluble Form ◽  
Control Group ◽  
Type I ◽  
Type Ii ◽  
Sectional Area ◽  
Cross Sectional

This is the first report that inhibition of negative regulators of skeletal muscle by a soluble form of activin type IIB receptor (ACE-031) increases muscle mass independent of fiber-type expression. This finding is distinct from the effects of selective pharmacological inhibition of myostatin (GDF-8), which predominantly targets type II fibers. In our study 8-wk-old C57BL/6 mice were treated with ACE-031 or vehicle control for 28 days. By the end of treatment, mean body weight of the ACE-031 group was 16% greater than that of the control group, and wet weights of soleus, plantaris, gastrocnemius, and extensor digitorum longus muscles increased by 33, 44, 46 and 26%, respectively ( P < 0.05). Soleus fiber-type distribution was unchanged with ACE-031 administration, and mean fiber cross-sectional area increased by 22 and 28% ( P < 0.05) in type I and II fibers, respectively. In the plantaris, a predominantly type II fiber muscle, mean fiber cross-sectional area increased by 57% with ACE-031 treatment. Analysis of myosin heavy chain (MHC) isoform transcripts by real-time PCR indicated no change in transcript levels in the soleus, but a decline in MHC I and IIa in the plantaris. In contrast, electrophoretic separation of total soleus and plantaris protein indicated that there was no change in the proportion of MHC isoforms in either muscle. Thus these data provide optimism that ACE-031 may be a viable therapeutic in the treatment of musculoskeletal diseases. Future studies should be undertaken to confirm that the observed effects are not age dependent or due to the relatively short study duration.

Diaphragm capillarity and oxidative capacity during postnatal development

1991 ◽  
Vol 70 (1) ◽  
pp. 103-111 ◽  
Author(s):  
G. C. Sieck ◽  
T. S. Cheung ◽  
C. E. Blanco
Keyword(s):  
Postnatal Development ◽  
Fiber Type ◽  
Processing System ◽  
Oxidative Capacity ◽  
Cross Sectional Area ◽  
Type I ◽  
Type Ii ◽  
Sectional Area ◽  
Cross Sectional ◽  
Type Ii Fibers

In the cat diaphragm, fiber capillarity, cross-sectional area, and succinate dehydrogenase (SDH) activity were measured across the first 6 wk of postnatal development. Fibers were classified as type I, IIa, IIb, or IIc on the basis of staining for myofibrillar adenosinetriphosphatase (ATPase). Capillaries were identified in sections stained for ATPase at pH 4.2. Fiber cross-sectional areas and SDH activities were quantified using an image-processing system. During postnatal development, the proportions of type I fibers increased while type II fibers decreased. At birth, all type II fibers were IIc. From the 1st to the 2nd postnatal wk, the proportion of type IIc fibers decreased while the numbers of IIa and IIb increased. Thereafter the proportion of type IIb fibers continued to increase while the number of IIa steadily declined. At birth, capillarity, cross-sectional areas, and SDH activities of type I and II fibers were low compared with other postnatal age groups. Fiber cross-sectional areas increased progressively with age. The number of capillaries surrounding type I and II fibers increased markedly by the 2nd wk and then continued to increase at a slower rate. The number of capillaries per fiber area reached a peak by the 2nd wk and then declined as fiber cross-sectional area increased. Postnatal changes in capillarity depended on fiber type, being greatest in IIb. SDH activities of type I and II fibers were initially low during the first 2 postnatal wk and then peaked by the 3rd wk. After the 6th wk, fiber SDH activities decreased to adult values. Among the type II fibers, IIb showed the greatest change in SDH activity during early postnatal development.

Effects of starvation and refeeding on adult male rat diaphragm contractility, fatigue, and fiber types

1993 ◽  
Vol 74 (2) ◽  
pp. 742-749 ◽  
Author(s):  
D. J. Prezant ◽  
D. E. Valentine ◽  
H. H. Kim ◽  
E. I. Gentry
Keyword(s):  
Fatigue Resistance ◽  
Cross Sectional Area ◽  
Male Rats ◽  
Male Rat ◽  
Type I ◽  
Fiber Types ◽  
Type Ii ◽  
Sectional Area ◽  
Cross Sectional ◽  
Type Ii Fibers

The effects of 4.5 days of acute starvation, either alone or followed by refeeding (ad libitum), on diaphragm contractility, fatigue, and fiber types were studied in male rats. Contractility and fatigue resistance indexes were measured in an in vitro costal diaphragm strip preparation with direct stimulation at 37 degrees C. Compared with controls, starvation produced a 28 +/- 1% (P < 0.001) reduction in body weight and an 18 +/- 4% (P < 0.001) reduction in costal diaphragm weight. Twitch and tetanic tensions (normalized for weight or cross-sectional area) were not reduced by starvation. Starvation produced significant increases in fatigue resistance indexes after a 5-Hz stimulation paradigm but not after a 100-Hz paradigm, supporting the hypothesis that fatigue resistance is dependent on the energy demand of a given paradigm. The proportions of type I and type II fibers were similar between diaphragms of starved and control rats, but the cross-sectional area of type II fibers decreased significantly by 18 +/- 7% (P < 0.01). Thus, despite the significant decrease in diaphragm weight after starvation, contractility was preserved and fatigue resistance was increased (low-output paradigm). This is consistent with the decrease in type II fiber area. Refeeding restored all parameters so that there were no longer significant differences in body or diaphragm weight, contractility, fatigue, or fiber types.

Effects of undernutrition on diaphragm fiber size, SDH activity, and fatigue resistance

1989 ◽  
Vol 66 (5) ◽  
pp. 2196-2205 ◽  
Author(s):  
G. C. Sieck ◽  
M. I. Lewis ◽  
C. E. Blanco
Keyword(s):  
Fatigue Resistance ◽  
Cross Sectional Area ◽  
Type I ◽  
Type Ii ◽  
Sectional Area ◽  
Cross Sectional ◽  
Nutritional Deprivation ◽  
Fiber Atrophy ◽  
Type Ii Fibers ◽  
Diaphragm Fatigue

The influence of prolonged nutritional deprivation on the succinate dehydrogenase (SDH) activity and cross-sectional areas of individual fibers in the rat diaphragm and deep portion of the medial gastrocnemius (MGr) muscles was determined. Fatigue resistance of the diaphragm was measured by means of an in vitro nerve-muscle strip preparation. Fiber SDH activity and cross-sectional area were quantified by means of an image processing system. Diaphragm fatigue resistance was significantly improved in the nutritionally deprived (ND) group. In both muscles, nutritional deprivation resulted in a significant decrease in fiber cross-sectional area (both type I and II), type II fibers showing greater atrophy. The SDH activities of type I and II fibers in the diaphragm were not affected by nutritional deprivation. This contrasted with a significant decrease in the SDH activity of both type I and II fibers in the MGr of ND animals. An assessment of the interrelationships between fiber atrophy and fiber SDH activity revealed a greater effect of malnutrition on those diaphragm type II fibers that had the lowest relative SDH activities and the largest cross-sectional areas. By comparison, the effect of malnutrition on type I and II fibers in the MGr was nonselective with regard to fiber SDH activity. We conclude that the enhanced diaphragm fatigue resistance in the ND animals does not result from an increase in the oxidative capacity of muscle fibers and is best explained by the pattern of diaphragm muscle fiber atrophy.

Interactive effects of emphysema and malnutrition on diaphragm structure and function

1994 ◽  
Vol 77 (2) ◽  
pp. 947-955 ◽  
Author(s):  
M. I. Lewis ◽  
S. A. Monn ◽  
W. Z. Zhan ◽  
G. C. Sieck
Keyword(s):  
Succinate Dehydrogenase ◽  
Dehydrogenase Activity ◽  
Cross Sectional Area ◽  
Interactive Effects ◽  
Type I ◽  
Specific Force ◽  
Type Ii ◽  
Sectional Area ◽  
Succinate Dehydrogenase Activity ◽  
Cross Sectional

Interactive effects of emphysema (EMP) and prolonged nutritional deprivation (ND) on contractile, morphometric, and metabolic properties of hamster diaphragm muscle (DIA) were examined. Six months after induction of EMP (intratracheal elastase), saline-treated controls (CTL) and EMP hamsters of similar body weights were subjected to ND over 6 wk. Isometric contractile and fatigue properties of costal DIA were determined in vitro. DIA fibers were histochemically classified as type I or II, and fiber succinate dehydrogenase activity and cross-sectional area were determined using quantitative microscopic procedures. From histochemical sections, the number of capillaries per fiber (C/F) and per fiber cross-sectional area (C/A) were determined. ND resulted in progressive loss of body weight (ND-CTL, 23.8%; ND-EMP, 28.4%; P = NS). ND did not affect reduction in optimal length (Lo) of DIA fibers in EMP compared with CTL and ND-CTL hamsters. Maximum specific force (i.e., force/unit area) was reduced by approximately 25% in EMP animals compared with CTL. ND did not improve or exacerbate the reduction in specific force with EMP. ND attenuated improved fatigue resistance of DIA in EMP animals. No differences in fiber type proportions were noted among experimental groups. Significant atrophy of type I and II DIA fibers was noted after ND. Atrophy was proportionately greater in type II fibers of ND-EMP when referenced to EMP animals. Thus adaptive hypertrophy of type II DIA fibers in EMP animals was abolished. Fiber succinate dehydrogenase activity was significantly increased in type I and II fibers in EMP DIA. ND did not affect this metabolic adaptation of DIA fibers to persistent loads imposed by EMP.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

scholarly journals Soleus fiber force and maximal shortening velocity after non-weight bearing with intermittent activity

1996 ◽  
Vol 80 (3) ◽  
pp. 981-987 ◽  
Author(s):  
J. J. Widrick ◽  
J. J. Bangart ◽  
M. Karhanek ◽  
R. H. Fitts
Keyword(s):  
Isometric Force ◽  
Weight Bearing ◽  
Polyacrylamide Gel Electrophoresis ◽  
Sodium Dodecyl ◽  
Cross Sectional Area ◽  
Type I ◽  
Sectional Area ◽  
Shortening Velocity ◽  
Adult Rats ◽  
Cross Sectional

This study examined the effectiveness of intermittent weight bearing (IWB) as a countermeasure to non-weight-bearing (NWB)-induced alterations in soleus type I fiber force (in mN), tension (Po; force per fiber cross-sectional area in kN/m-2), and maximal unloaded shortening velocity (Vo, in fiber lengths/s). Adult rats were assigned to one of the following groups: normal weight bearing (WB), 14 days of hindlimb NWB (NWB group), and 14 days of hindlimb NWB with IWB treatments (IWB group). The IWB treatment consisted of four 10-min periods of standing WB each day. Single, chemically permeabilized soleus fiber segments were mounted between a force transducer and position motor and were studied at maximal Ca2+ activation, after which type I fiber myosin heavy-chain composition was confirmed by sodium dodecyl sufate-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis. NWB resulted in a loss in relative soleus mass (-45%), with type I fibers displaying reductions in diameter (-28%) and peak isometric force (-55%) and an increase in Vo (+33%). In addition, NWB induced a 16% reduction in type I fiber Po, a 41% reduction in type I fiber peak elastic modulus [Eo, defined as (delta force/delta length) x (fiber length/fiber cross-sectional area] and a significant increase in the Po/Eo ratio. In contrast to NWB, IWB reduced the loss of relative soleus mass (by 22%) and attenuated alterations in type I fiber diameter (by 36%), peak force (by 29%), and Vo (by 48%) but had no significant effect on Po, Eo, or Po/Eo. These results indicate that a modest restoration of WB activity during 14 days of NWB is sufficient to attenuate type I fiber atrophy and to partially restore type I peak isometric force and Vo to WB levels. However, the NWB-induced reductions in Po and Eo, which we hypothesize to be due to a decline in the number and stiffness of cross bridges, respectively, are considerably less responsive to this countermeasure treatment.

scholarly journals Satellite cell content is specifically reduced in type II skeletal muscle fibers in the elderly

2007 ◽  
Vol 292 (1) ◽  
pp. E151-E157 ◽  
Author(s):  
Lex B. Verdijk ◽  
René Koopman ◽  
Gert Schaart ◽  
Kenneth Meijer ◽  
Hans H. C. M. Savelberg ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Skeletal Muscle ◽  
Muscle Fiber ◽  
Fiber Type ◽  
The Elderly ◽  
Type I ◽  
Type Ii ◽  
Fiber Area ◽  
Muscle Fiber Atrophy ◽  
Fiber Atrophy ◽  
Type Ii Fibers

Satellite cells (SC) are essential for skeletal muscle growth and repair. Because sarcopenia is associated with type II muscle fiber atrophy, we hypothesized that SC content is specifically reduced in the type II fibers in the elderly. A total of eight elderly (E; 76 ± 1 yr) and eight young (Y; 20 ± 1 yr) healthy males were selected. Muscle biopsies were collected from the vastus lateralis in both legs. ATPase staining and a pax7-antibody were used to determine fiber type-specific SC content (i.e., pax7-positive SC) on serial muscle cross sections. In contrast to the type I fibers, the proportion and mean cross-sectional area of the type II fibers were substantially reduced in E vs. Y. The number of SC per type I fiber was similar in E and Y. However, the number of SC per type II fiber was substantially lower in E vs. Y (0.044 ± 0.003 vs. 0.080 ± 0.007; P < 0.01). In addition, in the type II fibers, the number of SC relative to the total number of nuclei and the number of SC per fiber area were also significantly lower in E. This study is the first to show type II fiber atrophy in the elderly to be associated with a fiber type-specific decline in SC content. The latter is evident when SC content is expressed per fiber or per fiber area. The decline in SC content might be an important factor in the etiology of type II muscle fiber atrophy, which accompanies the loss of skeletal muscle with aging.

Periodic weight support effects on rat soleus fibers after hindlimb suspension

1988 ◽  
Vol 65 (3) ◽  
pp. 1231-1237 ◽  
Author(s):  
E. O. Hauschka ◽  
R. R. Roy ◽  
V. R. Edgerton
Keyword(s):  
Fiber Type ◽  
Weight Bearing ◽  
Cross Sectional Area ◽  
Hindlimb Suspension ◽  
Sectional Area ◽  
Sprague Dawley ◽  
Cross Sectional ◽  
Weight Support ◽  
Fiber Size ◽  
Support Activity

The morphological and histochemical properties of the rat soleus were studied after 1 wk of hindlimb suspension, one model that removes the weight-bearing function of the hindlimbs. To examine the effectiveness of weight support activity in maintaining soleus mass, fiber size, and succinate dehydrogenase (SDH) activity, the hindlimbs of adult male Sprague-Dawley rats were suspended (HS) and half of these rats were walked on a treadmill for 40 min/day (10 min every 6 h) at 5 m/min and a 19 degree grade (HS-WS). Significant reductions in soleus mass and fiber size were found after 1 wk of HS. Weight support activity decreased the atrophic response by approximately 50%. In the alkaline myofibrillar adenosine triphosphatase (ATPase) dark-staining fibers, SDH activity was higher in the HS than control rats, whereas it was similar to control in the HS-WS rats. Total SDH activity (SDH activity X cross-sectional area) in fibers staining lightly for ATPase in HS and HS-WS rats was lower than in control rats, whereas in the darkly stained ATPase fibers it was similar among the three groups. No changes were observed in fiber type percentages after 1 wk of HS or HS-WS. The results suggest that short-duration, daily weight support activity can ameliorate, but not prevent, soleus atrophy induced by HS. Furthermore, fiber cross-sectional area is more responsive to periodic weight support in dark than light ATPase fibers. These results also demonstrate that muscle fiber atrophy need not be associated with a loss in SDH activity.

Strength, skeletal muscle composition, and enzyme activity in multiple sclerosis

1997 ◽  
Vol 83 (6) ◽  
pp. 1998-2004 ◽  
Author(s):  
J. A. Kent-Braun ◽  
A. V. Ng ◽  
M. Castro ◽  
M. W. Weiner ◽  
D. Gelinas ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Multiple Sclerosis ◽  
Skeletal Muscle ◽  
Enzyme Activity ◽  
Succinic Dehydrogenase ◽  
Morphological Characteristics ◽  
Cross Sectional Area ◽  
Type I ◽  
Sectional Area ◽  
Cross Sectional ◽  
Muscle Composition

Kent-Braun, J. A., A. V. Ng, M. Castro, M. W. Weiner, D. Gelinas, G. A. Dudley, and R. G. Miller. Strength, skeletal muscle composition and enzyme activity in multiple sclerosis. J. Appl. Physiol. 83(6): 1998–2004, 1997.—This study examined functional, biochemical, and morphological characteristics of skeletal muscle in nine multiple sclerosis (MS) patients and eight healthy controls in an effort to ascertain whether intramuscular adaptations could account for excessive fatigue in this disease. Analyses of biopsies of the tibialis anterior muscle showed that there were fewer type I fibers (66 ± 6 vs. 76 ± 6%), and that fibers of all types were smaller (average ↓26%) and had lower succinic dehydrogenase (SDH; average ↓40%) and SDH/α-glycerol-phosphate dehydrogenase (GPDH) but not GPDH activities in MS vs. control subjects, suggesting that muscle in this disease is smaller and relies more on anaerobic than aerobic-oxidative energy supply than does muscle of healthy individuals. Maximal voluntary isometric force for dorsiflexion was associated with both average fiber cross-sectional area ( r = 0.71, P = 0.005) and muscle fat-free cross-sectional area by magnetic resonance imaging ( r = 0.80, P < 0.001). Physical activity, assessed by accelerometer, was associated with average fiber SDH/GPDH ( r = 0.78, P = 0.008). There was a tendency for symptomatic fatigue to be inversely associated with average fiber SDH activity ( r = −0.57, P = 0.068). The results of this study suggest that the inherent characteristics of skeletal muscle fibers per se and of skeletal muscle as a whole are altered in the direction of disuse in MS. They also suggest that changes in skeletal muscle in MS may significantly affect function.

Aging, muscle fiber type, and contractile function in sprint-trained athletes

2006 ◽  
Vol 101 (3) ◽  
pp. 906-917 ◽  
Author(s):  
Marko T. Korhonen ◽  
Alexander Cristea ◽  
Markku Alén ◽  
Keijo Häkkinen ◽  
Sarianna Sipilä ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Fiber Type ◽  
Cross Sectional Area ◽  
Rate Of Force Development ◽  
Knee Extensors ◽  
Type I ◽  
Sectional Area ◽  
Cross Sectional ◽  
Specific Tension ◽  
Force Development ◽  
Aging Muscle

Biopsy samples were taken from the vastus lateralis of 18- to 84-yr-old male sprinters ( n = 91). Fiber-type distribution, cross-sectional area, and myosin heavy chain (MHC) isoform content were identified using ATPase histochemistry and SDS-PAGE. Specific tension and maximum shortening velocity ( Vo) were determined in 144 single skinned fibers from younger (18–33 yr, n = 8) and older (53–77 yr, n = 9) runners. Force-time characteristics of the knee extensors were determined by using isometric contraction. The cross-sectional area of type I fibers was unchanged with age, whereas that of type II fibers was reduced ( P < 0.001). With age there was an increased MHC I ( P < 0.01) and reduced MHC IIx isoform content ( P < 0.05) but no differences in MHC IIa. Specific tension of type I and IIa MHC fibers did not differ between younger and older subjects. Vo of fibers expressing type I MHC was lower ( P < 0.05) in older than in younger subjects, but there was no difference in Vo of type IIa MHC fibers. An aging-related decline of maximal isometric force ( P < 0.001) and normalized rate of force development ( P < 0.05) of knee extensors was observed. Normalized rate of force development was positively associated with MHC II ( P < 0.05). The sprint-trained athletes experienced the typical aging-related reduction in the size of fast fibers, a shift toward a slower MHC isoform profile, and a lower Vo of type I MHC fibers, which played a role in the decline in explosive force production. However, the muscle characteristics were preserved at a high level in the oldest runners, underlining the favorable impact of sprint exercise on aging muscle.

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