Muscle ultrastructure after strength training with placebo or anabolic steroid.

The influence of strength training on muscle fiber area, capillary ultrastructure, and capillary supply was studied in experienced male bodybuilders taking either anabolic steroids or a placebo. During 8 weeks, 13 subjects received a weekly injection of either placebo or nandrolone decanoate (starting dose 200 mg, followed by 100 mg weekly), in a double-blind, counterbalanced design. Before and after 8 weeks a needle biopsy was taken from the vastus lateralis muscle for studying morphometric characteristics of fibers and ultrastructure and morphometric characteristics of capillaries. The fiber cross-sectional area increased significantly only after steroid treatment. Capillary ultrastructure and capillary supply were not changed after the training period. In none of the measured parameters was any difference found between placebo and steroid treatment.

Exercise-induced swelling of rat soleus muscle: its relationship with intramuscular pressure.

Exercise-induced tissue swelling and its possible consequence for tissue pressure were studied in rat soleus muscle. Rats ran for 75 min on a belt with a 10 degree positive incline. Wet weights of cryofixed soleus muscles were increased at 3 (16%), 6 (28%), 9 (16%), and 24 (16%) h after running compared with those of nonexercised controls. The transient increase in muscle wet weight correlated in time with an increase in muscle volume. Muscle fiber swelling accounted for most of the muscle swelling in absolute terms because of the large proportion (approximately 90%) of the muscle volume composed of fibers, but swelling of the interstitium was about twofold larger than fiber swelling per unit area. Muscle fiber degeneration was most frequently found at the end of the observation period, i.e., 24 h after running. The muscle swelling was not associated with an increase in intramuscular pressure. During the postexercise measuring period (18 min to 24 h after exercise), intramuscular pressures of exercised rats (1.3 +/- 0.3 mm Hg) did not differ significantly from control values (1.0 +/- 0.2 mm Hg). These findings indicate that increased intramuscular pressure is not responsible for the muscle fiber degeneration found in rat soleus muscle 24 h after endurance running.

Exercise-induced focal skeletal muscle fiber degeneration and capillary morphology.

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.

A comparative immunocytochemical study of the gastro-entero-pancreatic (GEP) endocrine system in a stomachless and a stomach-containing teleost.

The gastro-entero-pancreatic (GEP) endocrine system of a stomach-containing and of a stomachless teleost, Sparus auratus and Barbus conchonius, respectively, are studied immunocytochemically using different antisera against mammalian hormones. Insulin-, glucagon-, somatostatin-, and pancreatic polypeptide (PP)-immunoreactive cells are identified in the endocrine pancreas of both species. Only the distribution of PP-immunoreactive cells differed strongly; in the principal islet of both fishes, few PP-immunoreactive cells are present, whereas in the smaller ones many of them are observed in S. auratus and none in B. conchonius. In the digestive tract of S. auratus 10 endocrine cell types can be distinguished: neurotensin-, secretin-, serotonin-, somatostatin-, and two types of substance P-immunoreactive cells exclusively in the stomach, and C-t-gastrin/CCK-, glucagon-, Met-enkephalin-, PP-, and only one type of substance P-immunoreactive cells in the intestinal epithelium. With the exception of substance P-immunoreactive cells, the other four intestinal endocrine cells, as well as an unspecific immunoreactive cell, can also be found in B. conchonius. Coexistence of glucagon- and PP-like immunoreactivity is observed in the pancreas of S. auratus and in the gut of B. conchonius. Pancreatic and gut endocrine cells showing only PP- or glucagon-like immunoreactivity are found, too.

Coexistence of pancreatic polypeptide (PP)-and glucagon-immunoreactivity in pancreatic endocrine cells of mouse.

Immunocytochemical double staining techniques were used to study PP- and glucagon-like-immunoreactivity in pancreatic endocrine cells of mouse. An antiserum against FMRFamide appeared to react with all PP-immunoreactive endocrine cells. With fluorescence microscopy most PP/FMRFamide-immunoreactive cells also showed glucagon-immunoreactivity, but cells containing only PP- or glucagon-like substances were found as well. The proportion of cells containing PP-, glucagon, and both immunoreactivities varied strongly from islet to islet in all parts of the pancreas. Using an electron microscopical immunogold double staining procedure on Lowicryl-embedded pancreas, PP/FMRFamide- and glucagon-immunoreactivity appeared to be present in the majority of endocrine A cells; both immunoreactivities were randomly distributed within the granules of these cells. Cells containing only PP/FMRFamide- or glucagon-immunoreactivity were also found. Glucagon- and a faint FMRFamide-immunoreactivity was also observed in osmicated epon-embedded tissue. Independent of their immunoreactivity all positive cells showed the same round electron dense secretory granules.

Immunocytochemical identification and localization of peptide hormones in the gastro-entero-pancreatic (GEP) endocrine system of the mouse and a stomachless fish, Barbus conchonius.

A large number of antisera mainly raised against mammalian hormones are tested immunocytochemically on the GEP-endocrine system of mouse and fish (Barbus conchonius). The endocrine pancreas of mouse and fish appeared to contain the same four endocrine cell types; insulin-, glucagon-, PP- and somatostatin-immunoreactive cells. In mouse about 13 GEP endocrine cell types are distinguished: 1. insulin-, 2. somatostatin-, 3. glucagon-, 4. PP-, 5. (entero)glucagon-/PP-like, 6. CCK-like, 7. substance P-, 8. neurotensin-, 9. VIP-, 10. gastrin-, 11. secretin-, 12. beta-endorphin-, 13. serotonin-immunoreactive cells. Based on this and a previous study at least 13 GEP endocrine cell types seems to be present in stomachless fish: 1-9 as described for mouse, 10. (entero)glucagon-like, 11. met-enkephalin, 12. VIP-like, 13. unspecific immunoreactive endocrine cells. Coexistence of glucagon and PP-like peptides is found in the gut and pancreas of mice and in the gut of B. conchonius. In mouse pancreas and fish gut, endocrine cells showing only PP- or glucagon-like immunoreactivity are found too. In mouse stomach some endocrine cells showing only PP-immunoreactivity are demonstrated. In the same region coexistence of C-t-gastrin- and FMRF-amide-immunoreactivity is found in endocrine cells. The importance of these phenomena are discussed. Enteric nerves immunoreactive with antisera raised against substance P and GRP are found in mouse, against somatostatin and met-enkephalin in both mouse and fish and against VIP in fish.