Degenerative changes in the muscle fibers of Manduca sexta during metamorphosis

1992 ◽  
Vol 167 (1) ◽  
pp. 91-117 ◽  
Author(s):  
M. B. Rheuben

The ultrastructural changes associated with the early stages of degeneration of the larval mesothoracic muscle fibers of Manduca sexta were examined during the prepupal period and on the first day after ecdysis. Over this 5 day period, the muscle fibers decrease in cross-sectional area but increase in apparent surface area compared to the dimensions of early fifth-instar fibers. Large numbers of electron-dense granules or droplets are formed and extruded from the muscle cytoplasm into the hemolymph; this process may account for some of the decrease in muscle fiber mass and may represent a developmental mechanism for recycling nutrients. As the fibers shrink, the thick basal lamina is thrown into folds. Phagocytic hemocytes (granulocytes) congregate in clusters over the surface of the degenerating fibers and appear to remove specifically the basal lamina. The timely removal of the thick larval basal lamina may be essential for subsequent fusion of myoblasts to the residual larval myofibers. The contractile elements within the degenerating muscle fibers become disorganized but are not dysfunctional at the end of the first 12 h after the pupal ecdysis. Tracheoles withdraw from intimate contact with each muscle fiber in its clefts and T-tubules and associate in groups adjacent to it. Mitochondria appear to be degenerating. These structural changes are concurrent with a previously observed decline in resting potential and suggest that a significant change in the electrical properties of the muscle fibers should be expected as well.

1971 ◽  
Vol 51 (1) ◽  
pp. 83-103 ◽  
Author(s):  
William K. Ovalle

An ultrastructural comparison of the two types of intrafusal muscle fibers in muscle spindles of the rat was undertaken. Discrete myofibrils with abundant interfibrillar sarcoplasm and organelles characterize the nuclear chain muscle fiber, while a continuous myofibril-like bundle with sparse interfibrillar sarcoplasm distinguishes the nuclear bag muscle fiber. Nuclear chain fibers possess well-defined and typical M bands in the center of each sarcomere, while nuclear bag fibers contain ill-defined M bands composed of two parallel thin densities in the center of the pseudo-H zone of each sarcomere. Mitochondria of nuclear chain fibers are larger and more numerous than they are in nuclear bag fibers. Mitochondria of chain fibers, in addition, often contain conspicuous dense granules, and they are frequently intimately related to elements of the sarcoplasmic reticulum (SR). Striking differences are noted in the organization and degree of development of the sarcotubular system. Nuclear bag fibers contain a poorly developed SR and T system with only occasional junctional couplings (dyads and triads). Nuclear chain fibers, in contrast, possess an unusually well-developed SR and T system and a variety of multiple junctional couplings (dyads, triads, quatrads, pentads, septads). Greatly dilated SR cisternae are common features of nuclear chain fibers, often forming intimate associations with T tubules, mitochondria, and the sarcolemma. Such dilatations of the SR were not encountered in nuclear bag fibers. The functional significance of these structural findings is discussed.


Author(s):  
Jennifer E. Gilda ◽  
Joon-Hyuk Ko ◽  
Aviv-Yvonne Elfassy ◽  
Nadav Tropp ◽  
Anna Parnis ◽  
...  

The size and shape of skeletal muscle fibers are affected by various physiological and pathological conditions, such as muscle atrophy, hypertrophy, regeneration, and dystrophies. Hence, muscle fiber cross-sectional area (CSA) is an important determinant of muscle health and plasticity. We adapted the Imaris software to automatically segment muscle fibers based on fluorescent labeling of the plasma membrane, and measure muscle fiber CSA. Analysis of muscle cross sections by the Imaris semi-automated and manual approaches demonstrated a similar decrease in CSA of atrophying muscles from fasted mice compared with fed controls. In addition, we previously demonstrated that downregulation of the Ca2+-specific protease calpain-1 attenuates muscle atrophy. Accordingly, both the Imaris semi-automated and manual approaches showed a similar increase in CSA of fibers expressing calpain-1 shRNA compared with adjacent non-transfected fibers in the same muscle cross section. Although both approaches seem valid for measurements of muscle fiber size, the manual marking method is less preferable because it is highly time-consuming, subjective, and limits the number of cells that can be analyzed. The Imaris semi-automated approach is user-friendly, requires little training or optimization, and can be used to efficiently and accurately mark thousands of fibers in a short period of time. As a novel addition to the commonly used statistics, we also describe statistical tests that quantify the strength of an effect on fiber size, enabling detection of significant differences between skewed distributions that would otherwise not be detected using typical methods.


1989 ◽  
Vol 66 (6) ◽  
pp. 2857-2865 ◽  
Author(s):  
F. M. Peeze Binkhorst ◽  
H. Kuipers ◽  
J. Heymans ◽  
P. M. Frederik ◽  
D. W. Slaaf ◽  
...  

The relationship between exercise-induced focal muscle fiber degeneration and changes in capillary morphology was investigated in male Wistar rats. Untrained animals ran on a treadmill for 1 h at submaximal intensity and were killed 0, 6, or 24 h after running. Nonexercised rats served as controls. In situ perfused soleus muscles were prepared for electron microscopy. Micrographed cross sections were quantitatively analyzed for parameters indicative of capillary blood flow or transcapillary exchange. Capillary lumina were ovally rather than circularly shaped, and no indications for obstruction of blood flow at the capillary level were found. Endothelial cells and their organelles had a normal appearance in all groups. However, immediately after exercise, capillaries showed a decreased thickness of their endothelium and basal membrane, probably caused by dehydration. Six hours after exercise, muscle fibers were swollen (28% increase in cross-sectional area), resulting in a slightly increased diffusion distance. This fiber swelling was not associated with an increase in muscle water content, a finding for which no explanation could be found. Twenty-four hours after the animals ran, capillaries located near degenerated muscle fibers had an increased cross-sectional luminal area and an increased luminal circumference. This effect decreased gradually with increasing distance from the degenerated fiber area. The present morphometric results do not support the hypothesis that changes in capillary morphology primarily contribute to exercise-induced focal muscle fiber degeneration.


2021 ◽  
Vol 8 ◽  
Author(s):  
Daniella Corporan ◽  
Ana Segura ◽  
Muralidhar Padala

Introduction: Mitral regurgitation (MR) imposes volume overload on the left ventricle (LV) and elevates wall stress, triggering its adverse remodeling. Pronounced LV dilation, minimal wall thinning, and a gradual decline in cardiac ejection fraction (EF) are observed. The structural changes in the myocardium that define these gross, organ level remodeling are not known. Cardiomyocyte elongation and slippage have both been hypothesized, but neither are confirmed, nor are the changes to the cardiomyocyte structure known. Using a rodent model of MR, we used immunohistochemistry and transmission electron microscopy (TEM) to describe the ultrastructural remodeling of the cardiomyocyte.Methods: Twenty-four male Sprague-Dawley rats (350–400 g) were assigned to two groups: group (1) rats induced with severe MR (n = 18) and group (2) control rats that were healthy and age and weight matched (n = 6). MR was induced in the beating heart using a 23-G ultrasound-guided, transapical needle to perforate the anterior mitral leaflet, and the rats were followed to 2, 10, and 20 weeks (n = 6/time-point). Echocardiography was performed to quantify MR severity and to measure LV volume and function at each time-point. Explanted myocardial tissue were examined with TEM and immunohistochemistry to investigate the ultrastructural changes.Results: MR induced rapid and significant increase in end-diastolic volume (EDV), with a 50% increase by 2 weeks, compared with control. Rise in end-systolic volume (ESV) was more gradual; however, by 20 weeks, both EDV and ESV in MR rats were increased by 126% compared with control. A significant decline in EF was measured at 10 weeks of MR. At the ultrastructural level, as early as 2 weeks after MR, cardiomyocyte elongation and increase in cross-sectional area were observed. TEM depicted sarcomere shortening, with loss of Z-line and I-band. Desmin, a cytoskeletal protein that is uniformly distributed along the length of the cardiomyocyte, was disorganized and localized to the intercalated disc, in the rats induced with MR and not in the controls. In the rats with MR, the linear registry of the mitochondrial arrangement along the sarcomeres was lost, with mitochondrial fragmentation, aggregation around the nucleus, and irregularities in the cristae.Discussion: In the setting of chronic mitral regurgitation, LV dilatation occured by cardiomyocyte elongation, which manifests at the subcellular level as distinct ultrastructural alterations of the sarcomere, cytoskeleton, and mitochondria. Since the cytoskeleton not only provides tensegrity but has functional consequences on myocyte function, further investigation into the impact of cytoskeletal remodeling on progressive heart failure or recovery of function upon correcting the valve lesion are needed.


1978 ◽  
Vol 78 (1) ◽  
pp. 176-198 ◽  
Author(s):  
J R Sanes ◽  
L M Marshall ◽  
U J McMahan

Axons regenerate to reinnervate denervated skeletal muscle fibers precisely at original synaptic sites, and they differentiate into nerve terminals where they contact muscle fibers. The aim of this study was to determine the location of factors that influence the growth and differentiation of the regenerating axons. We damaged and denervated frog muscles, causing myofibers and nerve terminals to degenerate, and then irradiated the animals to prevent regeneration of myofibers. The sheath of basal lamina (BL) that surrounds each myofiber survives these treatments, and original synaptic sites on BL can be recognized by several histological criteria after nerve terminals and muscle cells have been completely removed. Axons regenerate into the region of damage within 2 wk. They contact surviving BL almost exclusively at original synaptic sites; thus, factors that guide the axon's growth are present at synaptic sites and stably maintained outside of the myofiber. Portions of axons that contact the BL acquire active zones and accumulations of synaptic vesicles; thus by morphological criteria they differentiate into nerve terminals even though their postsynaptic targets, the myofibers, are absent. Within the terminals, the synaptic organelles line up opposite periodic specializations in the myofiber's BL, demonstrating that components associated with the BL play a role in organizing the differentiation of the nerve terminal.


1990 ◽  
Vol 72 (4) ◽  
pp. 626-633 ◽  
Author(s):  
Marc R. Mayberg ◽  
Tomohisa Okada ◽  
Don H. Bark

✓ A porcine model was developed to allow quantitative assessment of morphological changes in cerebral arteries after subarachnoid hemorrhage and to determine the significance of structural changes in producing arterial narrowing. Whole blood was selectively applied to the middle cerebral artery (MCA) of seven pigs. After 10 days, vessels were perfusion-fixed and examined by light and transmission electron microscopy and immunohistochemistry. The MCA's exposed to whole blood for 10 days showed prominent luminal narrowing associated with profound ultrastructural changes affecting all layers of the vessel wall. Morphometric analysis, however, demonstrated that significant reductions in the luminal cross-sectional area (−55.8% ± 12.5%, p < 0.005) and increases in radial wall thickness (75.1% ± 10.5%, p < 0.005) were associated with only minimal increase in the cross-sectional area of the vessel wall (12.5% ± 15%,p < 0.025). By stereological analysis, the volume density of individual components of the arterial wall was unchanged in MCA's exposed to blood. Vessels exposed to blood showed a 44% reduction in smooth-muscle cell immunoreactive actin and increased collagen in the extracellular matrix of the vessel wall. These data suggest that structural changes in cerebral arteries after subarachnoid hemorrhage do not directly contribute to vessel narrowing through increases in wall mass. Nevertheless, such changes may reflect pathological mechanisms which act to augment prolonged vasoconstriction or inhibit the maintenance of normal vascular tone.


1960 ◽  
Vol 198 (5) ◽  
pp. 934-938 ◽  
Author(s):  
Toshio Narahashi ◽  
Takehiko Deguchi ◽  
Norimoto Urakawa ◽  
Yoshio Ohkubo

The mode of action of tetrodotoxin on the frog muscle fiber membrane has been analyzed with the aid of intracellular microelectrodes. Tetrodotoxin of 10–7 concentration made the applied cathodal current ineffective in producing action potential, whereas the resting potential and resting membrane resistance underwent little or no change. With 10–8 tetrodotoxin the muscle fibers responded with the small action potentials at high critical depolarizations. These results can be explained on the basis of the membrane being stabilized by inactivation of the sodium-carrying mechanism. Although delayed rectification was not observed in normal muscle fibers, it became apparent in the fibers rendered inexcitable by tetrodotoxin. This finding, together with other evidence in the existing literature, supports an applicability of the sodium theory to the frog muscle fibers.


2017 ◽  
Vol 8 (2) ◽  
pp. 118-123 ◽  
Author(s):  
S. L. Popel’

This article reports the study of histo-ultrastructural changes of different structural components of the direct muscle of the thigh of sexually mature male rats over a prolonged period of hypokinesia and subsequent application of physical loading of average aerobic power. Using a light optical, electron microscope (for the exposure of structural transformations of muscle components) and histochemical (for determination of activity of succinate dehydrogenase according to the Nahlas method to identify muscle fibers with different phenotypes) methods, we studied the structural manifestations of adaptation of muscle fibres under prolonged (240 day) hypokinesia and 15–30 episodes of physical loading of average aerobic power in the posthypokinetic period among 55 sexually mature rats. Under prolonged hypokinesis we primarily observed changes in the intramuscular network and morphometric changes in the blood vessels. These data closely correlate with the progression of changes of the subcellular components responsible for energetic and flexible balance of muscle fibres. We found that fast oxygen-glycolytic muscle fibers and their peripheral nervous apparatus are the most sensitive to prolonged hypokinesia. As a result of application of physical loading of average aerobic power, reparative regeneration is intensified, which substantially shortens the period of recovery of structural-functional properties of skeletal muscles in the conditions of hypokinetic disorders. Thus, in prolonged hypokinesia, changes primarily affect the sources of blood supply to skeletal muscles, with the secondary development of reverse processes in muscle fibers and peripheral nervous apparatus with certain morphometric signs. 


Author(s):  
João Paulo L. F. Guilherme ◽  
Ekaterina A. Semenova ◽  
Oleg V. Borisov ◽  
Andrey K. Larin ◽  
Ethan Moreland ◽  
...  

Abstract Purpose Circulating testosterone levels are a heritable trait with anabolic properties in various tissues, including skeletal muscle. So far, hundreds of single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) associated with testosterone levels have been identified in nonathletic populations. The aim of the present study was to test the association of 822 testosterone-increasing SNPs with muscle-related traits (muscle fiber size, fat-free mass and handgrip strength) and to validate the identified SNPs in independent cohorts of strength and power athletes. Methods One hundred and forty-eight physically active individuals (47 females, 101 males) were assessed for cross-sectional area (CSA) of fast-twitch muscle fibers. Significant SNPs were further assessed for fat-free mass and handgrip strength in > 354,000 participants from the UK Biobank cohort. The validation cohorts included Russian elite athletes. Results From an initial panel of 822 SNPs, we identified five testosterone-increasing alleles (DOCK3 rs77031559 G, ESR1 rs190930099 G, GLIS3 rs34706136 TG, GRAMD1B rs850294 T, TRAIP rs62260729 C) nominally associated (P < 0.05) with CSA of fast-twitch muscle fibers, fat-free mass and handgrip strength. Based on these five SNPs, the number of testosterone-increasing alleles was positively associated with testosterone levels in male athletes (P = 0.048) and greater strength performance in weightlifters (P = 0.017). Moreover, the proportion of participants with ≥ 2 testosterone-increasing alleles was higher in power athletes compared to controls (68.9 vs. 55.6%; P = 0.012). Conclusion Testosterone-related SNPs are associated with muscle fiber size, fat-free mass and strength, which combined can partially contribute to a greater predisposition to strength/power sports.


2021 ◽  
Vol 99 (Supplement_3) ◽  
pp. 354-354
Author(s):  
Maslyn A Greene ◽  
Aliute Udoka ◽  
Rhonda Powell ◽  
Rooksana Noorai ◽  
Terri Bruce ◽  
...  

Abstract The objective of this study was to evaluate the miRNA transcriptome and muscle fiber characteristics of lambs from ewes consuming endophyte-infected tall fescue (E+) seed during two stages of gestation at two animal ages. Pregnant Suffolk ewes (yr 1 n = 36; yr 2 n = 60) were randomly assigned to one of two gestational treatments: E+ seed (1.77 mg/hd/d of ergovaline/ergovalinine) during mid- (gd 35 - 85; MID) or late-gestation (gd 86 – 133/parturition; LATE). Longissimus muscle samples (n = 3/E+ treatment/time) were collected from fetuses on gd 133 (FETAL; expt. 1) or from wethers after finishing to market weight (MKT; expt. 2) from ewes from MID and LATE E+ treatments. Data were analyzed as a 2 x 2 factorial with E+ treatment (MID or LATE), time (FETAL or MKT), and the two-way interaction in the model. Exposure to E+ fescue seed during LATE gestation reduced (P = 0.03) cross-sectional area of Type II muscle fibers at MKT but not at FETAL. Cross-sectional area of Type II muscle fibers were larger (P &lt; 0.05) at MKT than FETAL. Animal age influenced miRNA expression with 120 miRNA differentially expressed. miRNA-22-3p and -29a were down regulated (P &lt; 0.001; &gt; -5 log fold change) with animal age; whereas miR-3958-3p, -410-3p, -299-5p and -487b-3p (P &lt; 0.0001; &gt; 3 log fold change) were up-regulated. Exposure to E+ during MID or LATE gestation did not alter miRNA expression. Muscle fiber hypertrophy increased from FETAL to MKT age altered the expression of miRNA in longissimus muscle.


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