Changes in contractile properties, fiber type and myosin heavy chain isoform compositions of rat skeletal muscle induced by chronic overload / 体力科学

ABSTRACT

The effects of chronic overload by synergist ablation (SA) on fiber type, myosin heavy chain (MyoHC) isoforms, and contractile properties in the rat plantaris muscle were studied. Plantaris muscle was overloaded by bilateral removal of its synergist of gastrocnemius muscle in Fischer 344 female rats (aged 8 weeks) . Muscles of sham-operated legs served as controls.<BR>The overloaded plantaris was 20% heavier than control 3 weeks after SA. Overload by SA resulted in remarkable increases in cross-sectional areas of muscle fibers of all types ; however, the percentage increase was less in type II b fibers. Twitch contraction and half-relaxation time before and after tetanus did not change, but fatigue resistance increased significantly with overload. The percentage of area occupied by type II b fibers, which have lower oxidative capacity, decreased while the percentage of area occupied by other type II fibers, but not type I fibers, increased. Analysis of MyoHC isoforms with gradient sodium dodecylsulfate polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis revealed a decrease in II b isoforms and an increase in II d isoforms.<BR>These results suggest that chronic overload produces changes in muscle fiber type and MyoHC isoform compositions which partly account for increased fatigue resistance in overloaded muscles.