Fiber-Type Susceptibility to Eccentric Contraction-Induced Damage of Hindlimb-Unloaded Rat AL Muscles

Document Type

Article

Language

eng

Format of Original

7 p.

Publication Date

3-2001

Publisher

American Physiological Society

Source Publication

Journal of Applied Physiology

Source ISSN

0021-8987

Original Item ID

DOI: 10.1152/jappl.2001.90.3.770

Abstract

Slow oxidative (SO) fibers of the adductor longus (AL) were predominantly damaged during voluntary reloading of hindlimb unloaded (HU) rats and appeared explainable by preferential SO fiber recruitment. The present study assessed damage after eliminating the variable of voluntary recruitment by tetanically activating all fibers in situ through the motor nerve while applying eccentric (lengthening) or isometric contractions. Muscles were aldehyde fixed and resin embedded, and semithin sections were cut. Sarcomere lesions were quantified in toluidine blue-stained sections. Fibers were typed in serial sections immunostained with antifast myosin and antitotal myosin (which highlights slow fibers). Both isometric and eccentric paradigms caused fatigue. Lesions occurred only in eccentrically contracted control and HU muscles. Fatigue did not cause lesions. HU increased damage because lesionedfiber percentages within fiber types and lesion sizes were greater than control. Fast oxidative glycolytic (FOG) fibers were predominantly damaged. In no case did damaged SO fibers predominate. Thus, when FOG, SO, and hybrid fibers are actively lengthened in chronically unloaded muscle, FOG fibers are intrinsically more susceptible to damage than SO fibers. Damaged hybrid-fiber proportions ranged between these extremes.

Comments

Journal of Applied Physiology, Vol. 90, No. 3 (March 2001): 770-776. DOI.

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