Muscle Weight (muscle + weight)

Distribution by Scientific Domains


Selected Abstracts


Changes in skeletal muscle size, fibre-type composition and capillary supply after chronic venous occlusion in rats

ACTA PHYSIOLOGICA, Issue 4 2008
S. Kawada
Abstract Aim:, We have previously shown that surgical occlusion of some veins from skeletal muscle results in muscle hypertrophy without mechanical overloading in the rat. The present study investigated the changes in muscle-fibre composition and capillary supply in hypertrophied muscles after venous occlusion in the rat hindlimb. Methods:, Sixteen male Wistar rats were randomly assigned into two groups: (i) sham operated (sham-operated group; n = 7); (ii) venous occluded for 2 weeks (2-week-occluded group; n = 9). At the end of the experimental period, specimens of the plantaris muscle were dissected from the hindlimbs and subjected to biochemical and histochemical analyses. Results:, Two weeks after the occlusion, both the wet weight of plantaris muscle relative to body weight and absolute muscle weight showed significant increases in the 2-week-occluded group (,15%) when compared with those in the sham-operated group. The concentrations of muscle glycogen and lactate were higher in the 2-week-occluded group, whereas staining intensity of muscle lipid droplets was lower in the 2-week-occluded group than those in the sham-operated group. The percentage of type I muscle fibre decreased, whereas that of type IIb fibre increased in the 2-week-occluded group when compared with the sham-operated group. Although the expression of vascular endothelial growth factor-188 mRNA increased, the number of capillaries around the muscle fibres tended to decrease (P = 0.07). Conclusion:, Chronic venous occlusion causes skeletal muscle hypertrophy with fibre-type transition towards faster types and changes in contents of muscle metabolites. [source]


Testosterone metabolites differentially maintain adult morphology in a sexually dimorphic neuromuscular system

DEVELOPMENTAL NEUROBIOLOGY, Issue 4 2010
Tom Verhovshek
Abstract The lumbar spinal cord of rats contains the sexually dimorphic, steroid-sensitive spinal nucleus of the bulbocavernosus (SNB). Androgens are necessary for the development of the SNB neuromuscular system, and in adulthood, continue to influence the morphology and function of the motoneurons and their target musculature. However, estrogens are also involved in the development of the SNB system, and are capable of maintaining function in adulthood. In this experiment, we assessed the ability of testosterone metabolites, estrogens and nonaromatizable androgens, to maintain neuromuscular morphology in adulthood. Motoneuron and muscle morphology was assessed in adult normal males, sham-castrated males, castrated males treated with testosterone, dihydrotestosterone, estradiol, or left untreated, and gonadally intact males treated with the 5,-reductase inhibitor finasteride or the aromatase inhibitor fadrozole. After 6 weeks of treatment, SNB motoneurons were retrogradely labeled with cholera toxin-HRP and reconstructed in three dimensions. Castration resulted in reductions in SNB target muscle size, soma size, and dendritic morphology. Testosterone treatment after castration maintained SNB soma size, dendritic morphology, and elevated target muscle size; dihydrotestosterone treatment also maintained SNB dendritic length, but was less effective than testosterone in maintaining both SNB soma size and target muscle weight. Treatment of intact males with finasteride or fadrozole did not alter the morphology of SNB motoneurons or their target muscles. In contrast, estradiol treatment was completely ineffective in preventing castration-induced atrophy of the SNB neuromuscular system. Together, these results suggest that the maintenance of adult motoneuron or muscle morphology is strictly mediated by androgens. © 2009 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Develop Neurobiol 70: 206,221, 2010. [source]


Clenbuterol antagonizes glucocorticoid-induced atrophy and fibre type transformation in mice

EXPERIMENTAL PHYSIOLOGY, Issue 1 2004
Maria Antonietta Pellegrino
Beta-agonists and glucocorticoids are frequently coprescribed for chronic asthma treatment. In this study the effects of 4 week treatment with beta-agonist clenbuterol (CL) and glucocorticoid dexamethasone (DEX) on respiratory (diaphragm and parasternal) and limb (soleus and tibialis) muscles of the mouse were studied. Myosin heavy chain (MHC) distribution, fibres cross sectional area (CSA), glycolytic (phosphofructokinase, PFK; lactate dehydrogenase, LDH) and oxidative enzyme (citrate synthase, CS; cytochrome oxidase, COX) activities were determined. Muscle samples were obtained from four groups of adult C57/B16 mice: (1) Control (2) Mice receiving CL (CL, 1.5 mg kg,1 day,1 in drinking water) (3) Mice receiving DEX (DEX, 5.7 mg kg,1 day,1s.c.) (4) Mice receiving both treatments (DEX + CL). As a general rule, CL and DEX showed opposite effects on CSA, MHC distribution, glycolytic and mitochondrial enzyme activities: CL alone stimulated a slow-to-fast transition of MHCs, an increase of PFK and LDH and an increase of muscle weight and fibre CSA; DEX produced an opposite (fast-to-slow transition) change of MHC distribution, a decrease of muscle weight and fibre CSA and in some case an increase of CS. The response varied from muscle to muscle with mixed muscles, as soleus and diaphragm, being more responsive than fast muscles, as tibialis and parasternal. In combined treatments (DEX + CL), the changes induced by DEX or CL alone were generally minimized: in soleus, however, the effects of CL predominated over those of DEX, whereas in diaphragm DEX prevailed over CL. Taken together the results suggest that CL might counteract the unwanted effects on skeletal muscles of chronic treatment with glucocorticoids. [source]


Novel Polysaccharide-derived hydrogel prevents perineural adhesions in a rat model of sciatic nerve adhesion

JOURNAL OF ORTHOPAEDIC RESEARCH, Issue 3 2010
Michiro Yamamoto
Abstract We investigated the effects of a novel carboxymethylcellulose (CMC)-derived hydrogel, in which phosphatidylethanolamine (PE) was introduced into the carboxyl groups of CMC, for preventing perineural adhesion after extensive internal neurolysis of rat sciatic nerve. Sciatic nerves were randomly assigned to one of the following groups: the Control group, operated but no treatment; the HA group, operated and treated with 1% hyaluronan; the CMC,PE(L) group, operated and treated with low-viscosity CMC,PE hydrogel; and the CMC,PE(H) group, operated and treated with high-viscosity CMC,PE hydrogel. Perineural adhesions were evaluated at 6 weeks. Nerves were also subjected to biomechanical testing to assess ultimate breaking strength. Electrophysiological and wet muscle weight measurements were performed. Breaking strengths were significantly lower for the CMC,PE(L) group than for the Control and HA groups. Latency was significantly longer for the Control group than for the CMC,PE(L) group at 20 days. The mean percentage of wet muscle weight to body weight was significantly lower for the Control group than for the CMC,PE(L) group at 6 weeks. Low-viscosity CMC,PE hydrogel appears to prevent perineural adhesions and allow early restoration of nerve function. © 2009 Orthopaedic Research Society. Published by Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Orthop Res 28:284,288, 2010 [source]


Reduced Nerve Blood Flow In Diabetic Rats Is A Reflection Of Hindlimb Muscle Wasting

JOURNAL OF THE PERIPHERAL NERVOUS SYSTEM, Issue 3 2000
Dr Tomlinson
We examined the influence of muscle wasting, as a result of streptozotocin-induced diabetes, on sciatic nerve laser Doppler flux (SNLDF), as an index of nerve blood flow, and conduction velocity (NCV). We compared dietary-restricted weight-reduced non-diabetic rats with controls and with diabetic rats and we studied the effects of clenbuterol, an anabolic ,-adrenoceptor agonist, in control and diabetic rats. Dietary restriction reduced the weights of hindlimb muscles,extensor digitorum longus, soleus and gastrocnemius,half as much as did streptozotocin-diabetes and clenbuterol increased muscle weights in control and diabetic rats. This gave a hierarchy of muscle weights in the order,clenbuterol-controls, untreated controls, weight-reduced non-diabetics, clenbuterol-diabetics and untreated diabetics. Diabetes without treatment reduced SNLDF by 51% (p < 0.01); dietary restriction by 25% (p < 0.01) and there were proportional increases associated with clenbuterol treatment. Combined muscle weights regressed closely with SNLDF (r2=0.69; p < 0.001) and, when the latter was expressed relative to muscle weights, a similar value was obtained for all five groups,there were no significant differences. Thus, sciatic nerve blood flow is closely related to hindlimb muscle weight and the effect of diabetes on nerve blood flow may be secondary to muscle wasting. Sciatic/tibialis motor and sensory conduction velocities were also reduced by muscle wasting in the dietary restricted group of non-diabetic rats, but, unlike nerve Doppler flux, it was unaffected by clenbuterol. [source]


Collagen content and architecture of the pectoralis muscle in male chicks and broilers reared under various nutritional conditions

ANIMAL SCIENCE JOURNAL, Issue 2 2010
Chamali DAS
ABSTRACT Varying chicken growth rates were induced with different nutritional regimes, and the collagen content and architecture of M. pectoralis (PT) were compared among 21-day-old chicks and broilers at 80 or 95 days of age. The percentage of muscle weight to live weight was higher in rapid growing chicks (8.4%) than slow growing chicks (6.3%). The 80-day-old broilers engaged in compensatory growth after the early slow growth period producing PT muscle at 11% of live weight. The 80- and 95-day-old chicks with restricted late growth after an early rapid growth period showed PT weight at 8% and 9% of live weight, respectively. Collagen content of the PT muscle markedly decreased from the chicks to the broilers. The collagen concentration was higher in the late-growth restricted broilers (1.67,1.88 mg/g) than the compensatory growth broilers (1.01,1.10 mg/g). Collagen concentration did not differ between the rapid and slow growing chicks (2.72 and 2.94 mg/g). Scanning electron micrographs showed thick and thin perimysia, and honeycomb endomysia. In the perimysia, a stack layer of collagen platelets and a reticular layer of collagen fiber cords were distinguished and collagen baskets of adipocytes were observed. The perimysial collagen fibers became thicker during growth of the chicks to broilers. However, in the late-growth restricted broilers, the perimysial collagen fibers seemed to have retarded development compared with the compensatory growth birds. The PT muscle of chickens develops optimally when body growth is enhanced. The PT muscle of the compensatory growth broilers had improved collagen architecture regardless of the marked decrease in collagen content. [source]


Identification of quantitative trait loci for growth-related traits in the Pacific abalone Haliotis discus hannai Ino

AQUACULTURE RESEARCH, Issue 8 2007
Xiande Liu
Abstract The locations and effects of quantitative trait loci (QTL) were estimated for nine characters for growth-related traits in the Pacific abalone (Haliotis discus hannai Ino) using a randomly amplified polymorphic DNA (RAPD), amplification fragment length polymorphism (AFLP) and SSR genetic linkage map. Twenty-eight putatively significant QTLs (LOD>2.4) were detected for nine traits (shell length, shell width, total weight, shell weight, weight of soft part, muscle weight, gonad and digestive gland weight, mantle weight and gill weight). The percentage of phenotypic variation explained by a single QTL ranged from 8.0% to 35.9%. The significant correlations (P<0.001) were found among all the growth-related traits, and Pearson's correlation coefficients were more than 0.81. For the female map, the QTL for growth were concentrated on groups 1 and 4 linkage maps. On the male map, the QTL that influenced growth-related traits gathered on the groups 1 and 9 linkage maps. Genetic linkage map construction and QTL analysis for growth-related traits are the basis for the marker-assisted selection and will eventually improve production and quality of the Pacific abalone. [source]


Androgen replacement therapy improves function in male rat muscles independently of hypertrophy and activation of the Akt/mTOR pathway

ACTA PHYSIOLOGICA, Issue 4 2009
C. Hourdé
Abstract Aim:, We analysed the effect of physiological doses of androgens following orchidectomy on skeletal muscle and bone of male rats, as well as the relationships between muscle performance, hypertrophy and the Akt/mammalian target of rapamycin (mTOR) signalling pathway involved in the control of anabolic and catabolic muscle metabolism. Methods:, We studied the soleus muscle and tibia from intact rats (SHAM), orchidectomized rats treated for 3 months with vehicle (ORX), nandrolone decanoate (NAN) or dihydrotestosterone (DHT). Results:, Orchidectomy had very little effect on the soleus muscle. However, maximal force production by soleus muscle (+69%) and fatigue resistance (+35%) in NAN rats were both increased when compared with ORX rats. In contrast, DHT treatment did not improve muscle function. The relative number of muscle fibres expressing slow myosin heavy chain and citrate synthase activity were not different in NAN and ORX rats. Moreover, NAN and DHT treatments did not modify muscle weights and cross-sectional area of muscle fibres. Furthermore, phosphorylation levels of downstream targets of the Akt/mTOR signalling pathway, Akt, ribosomal protein S6 and eukaryotic initiation factor 4E-binding protein 1 were similar in muscles of NAN, DHT and ORX rats. In addition, trabecular tibia from NAN and DHT rats displayed higher bone mineral density and bone volume when compared with ORX rats. Only in NAN rats was this associated with increased bone resistance to fracture. Conclusion:, Physiological doses of androgens are beneficial to muscle performance in orchidectomized rats without relationship to muscle and fibre hypertrophy and activation of the Akt/mTOR signalling pathway. Taken together our data clearly indicate that the activity of androgens on muscle and bone could participate in the global improvement of musculoskeletal status in the context of androgen deprivation induced by ageing. [source]


Reduced Nerve Blood Flow In Diabetic Rats Is A Reflection Of Hindlimb Muscle Wasting

JOURNAL OF THE PERIPHERAL NERVOUS SYSTEM, Issue 3 2000
Dr Tomlinson
We examined the influence of muscle wasting, as a result of streptozotocin-induced diabetes, on sciatic nerve laser Doppler flux (SNLDF), as an index of nerve blood flow, and conduction velocity (NCV). We compared dietary-restricted weight-reduced non-diabetic rats with controls and with diabetic rats and we studied the effects of clenbuterol, an anabolic ,-adrenoceptor agonist, in control and diabetic rats. Dietary restriction reduced the weights of hindlimb muscles,extensor digitorum longus, soleus and gastrocnemius,half as much as did streptozotocin-diabetes and clenbuterol increased muscle weights in control and diabetic rats. This gave a hierarchy of muscle weights in the order,clenbuterol-controls, untreated controls, weight-reduced non-diabetics, clenbuterol-diabetics and untreated diabetics. Diabetes without treatment reduced SNLDF by 51% (p < 0.01); dietary restriction by 25% (p < 0.01) and there were proportional increases associated with clenbuterol treatment. Combined muscle weights regressed closely with SNLDF (r2=0.69; p < 0.001) and, when the latter was expressed relative to muscle weights, a similar value was obtained for all five groups,there were no significant differences. Thus, sciatic nerve blood flow is closely related to hindlimb muscle weight and the effect of diabetes on nerve blood flow may be secondary to muscle wasting. Sciatic/tibialis motor and sensory conduction velocities were also reduced by muscle wasting in the dietary restricted group of non-diabetic rats, but, unlike nerve Doppler flux, it was unaffected by clenbuterol. [source]


A comprehensive analysis of QTL for abdominal fat and breast muscle weights on chicken chromosome 5 using a multivariate approach

ANIMAL GENETICS, Issue 2 2009
G. Le Mignon
Summary Quantitative trait loci (QTL) influencing the weight of abdominal fat (AF) and of breast muscle (BM) were detected on chicken chromosome 5 (GGA5) using two successive F2 crosses between two divergently selected ,Fat' and ,Lean' INRA broiler lines. Based on these results, the aim of the present study was to identify the number, location and effects of these putative QTL by performing multitrait and multi-QTL analyses of the whole available data set. Data concerned 1186 F2 offspring produced by 10 F1 sires and 85 F1 dams. AF and BM traits were measured on F2 animals at slaughter, at 8 (first cross) or 9 (second cross) weeks of age. The F0, F1 and F2 birds were genotyped for 11 microsatellite markers evenly spaced along GGA5. Before QTL detection, phenotypes were adjusted for the fixed effects of sex, F2 design, hatching group within the design, and for body weight as a covariable. Univariate analyses confirmed the QTL segregation for AF and BM on GGA5 in male offspring, but not in female offspring. Analyses of male offspring data using multitrait and linked-QTL models led us to conclude the presence of two QTL on the distal part of GGA5, each controlling one trait. Linked QTL models were applied after correction of phenotypic values for the effects of these distal QTL. Several QTL for AF and BM were then discovered in the central region of GGA5, splitting one large QTL region for AF into several distinct QTL. Neither the ,Fat' nor the ,Lean' line appeared to be fixed for any QTL genotype. These results have important implications for prospective fine mapping studies and for the identification of underlying genes and causal mutations. [source]