ABSTRACT
BACKGROUNDS: The inferior pharyngeal constrictor muscle (IPC), which consists of the thyropharyngeus (TP) and cricopharyngeus (CP) muscles, plays an important role during deglutition, but their function is different when analysed by radiographic, manometric and electromyographic studies. OBJECTIVES AND MATERIALS: The purpose of this study is to quantify the expression levels of MHC mRNA isoforms (2B, 2X, 2A, 2L, beta-cardiac, neonatal and embryonic) in thyropharyngeus and cricopharyngeus muscles of rats using competitive PCR. RESULTS: The thyropharyngeus muscle was mainly consisted of three fast-twitching MHC isoforms, mostly 2X isoform (85.2%). On the other hand, the cricopharyngeus muscle contained two-third of fast-twitching isoforms(65.1%) and one-third of neonatal MHC(34.9%). CONCLUSIONS: The thyropharyngeus muscle could be characterized as a fast-twitching muscle and the cricopharyngeus muscle is probably considered as a sarcomeric regenerating muscle that is caused by frequently mechanical damage on deglutition.