Changes of action potentials and force at lowered [Na+]o in mouse skeletal muscle: implications for fatigue

2003 ◽  
Vol 285 (5) ◽  
pp. C1131-C1141 ◽  
Author(s):  
Simeon P. Cairns ◽  
Sarah J. Buller ◽  
Denis S. Loiselle ◽  
Jean-Marc Renaud

We examined 1) whether the effects of lowered trans-sarcolemmal Na+ gradient on force differed between nonfatigued fast- and slow-twitch muscles of mice and 2) whether effects on action potentials could explain the decrease of force. The Na+ gradient was reduced by lowering the extracellular [Na+] ([Na+]o). The peak force-[Na+]o relationships for the twitch and tetanus were the same in nonfatigued extensor digitorum longus and soleus muscles: force was maintained over a large range of [Na+]o and then decreased abruptly over a much smaller range. However, fatigue was significantly exacerbated at a lowered [Na+]o that had little effect in nonfatigued soleus muscle. This finding suggests that substantial differences exist in the Na+ effect on force between nonfatigued and fatigued muscle. The reduced contractility in nonfatigued muscles at lowered [Na+]o was largely due to 1) an increased number of inexcitable fibers and threshold for action potentials, 2) a reduction of action potential amplitude, and 3) a reduced capacity to generate action potentials throughout trains.

2007 ◽  
Vol 103 (1) ◽  
pp. 359-368 ◽  
Author(s):  
Simeon P. Cairns ◽  
Eva R. Chin ◽  
Jean-Marc Renaud

We examined whether electrical field stimulation with varying characteristics could excite isolated mammalian skeletal muscle through different sites. Supramaximal (20-V, 0.1-ms) pulse stimulation with transverse wire or parallel plate electrodes evoked similar forces in nonfatigued slow-twitch soleus and fast-twitch extensor digitorum longus (EDL) muscles from mice. d-tubocurarine shifted the twitch force-stimulation strength relationship toward higher pulse strengths with both electrode configurations in soleus muscle, suggesting that weaker pulses excite muscle via neuromuscular transmission. With wire stimulation, movement of the recording electrode along the muscle caused a delay between the stimulus artifact and the peak of the action potential, consistent with action potential propagation along the sarcolemma. TTX abolished all contractions evoked with 20-V, 0.1-ms pulses, suggesting that excitation occurred via voltage-dependent Na+ channels and, hence, muscle action potentials. TTX did not prevent force development with ≥0.4-ms pulses in soleus or 1-ms pulses in EDL muscle. Furthermore, myoplasmic Ca2+ (i.e., the fura 2 ratio) and sarcomere shortening were greater during tetanic stimulation with 2.0-ms than with 0.5-ms pulses in flexor digitorum brevis fibers from rats. TTX prevented all shortening and Ca2+ release with 0.5-ms, but not 2.0-ms, pulses, indicating that longer pulses can directly trigger Ca2+ release. Hence, proper interpretation of mechanistic studies requires precise understanding of how muscles are excited; otherwise, incorrect conclusions can be made. Using this new understanding, we showed that disrupted propagation of action potentials along the surface membrane is a major cause of fatigue in soleus muscle that is focally and continuously stimulated at 125 Hz.


2005 ◽  
Vol 288 (6) ◽  
pp. C1367-C1373 ◽  
Author(s):  
Daniela Danieli-Betto ◽  
Elena Germinario ◽  
Alessandra Esposito ◽  
Aram Megighian ◽  
Menotti Midrio ◽  
...  

Sphingomyelin derivatives exert various second messenger actions in numerous tissues. Sphingosine (SPH) and sphingosine 1-phosphate (S1P) are two major sphingomyelin derivatives present at high levels in blood. The aim of the present work was to investigate whether S1P and SPH exert relevant actions in mouse skeletal muscle contractility and fatigue. Exogenous S1P and SPH administration caused a significant reduction of tension decline during fatigue of extensor digitorum longus muscle. Final tension after the fatiguing protocol was 40% higher than in untreated muscle. Interestingly, N, N-dimethylsphingosine, an inhibitor of SPH kinase (SK), abolished the effect of supplemented SPH but not that of S1P, suggesting that SPH acts through its conversion to S1P. Moreover, SPH was not effective in Ca2+-free solutions, in agreement with the hypothesis that SPH action is dependent on its conversion to S1P by the Ca2+-requiring enzyme SK. In contrast to SPH, S1P produced its positive effects on fatigue in Ca2+-free conditions, indicating that S1P action does not require Ca2+ entry and most likely is receptor mediated. The effects of S1P could be ascribed in part to its ability to prevent the reduction (−20 mV) of action potential amplitude caused by fatigue. In conclusion, these results indicate that extracellular S1P has protective effects during the development of muscle fatigue and that the extracellular conversion of SPH to S1P may represent a rheostat mechanism to protect skeletal muscle from possible cytotoxic actions of SPH.


1990 ◽  
Vol 258 (4) ◽  
pp. E693-E700 ◽  
Author(s):  
A. Bonen ◽  
J. C. McDermott ◽  
M. H. Tan

We examined the effects of selected hormones and pH on the rates of glyconeogenesis (L-[U-14C]-lactate----glycogen) and glycogenesis (D-[U-14C]glucose----glycogen) in mouse fast-twitch (FT) and slow-twitch muscles incubated in vitro (37 degrees C). Glyconeogenesis and glycogenesis increased linearly with increasing concentrations of lactate (5-20 mM) and glucose (2.5-10 mM), respectively, in both muscles. Glyconeogenesis was approximately three- to fourfold greater in the extensor digitorum longus (EDL) than in the soleus, whereas basal glycogenesis was twofold greater in the soleus muscle than in the EDL. Lactate accounted for up to 5% of the glycogen formed in the soleus and up to 32% in the EDL relative to the rates of glycogenesis (i.e., 5 mM glucose + 10 nM insulin) in each muscle. Corticosterone (10(-12)-10(-6) M) failed to alter glyconeogenesis, whereas this hormone reduced glycogenesis. Insulin (10 nM) markedly stimulated glycogenesis but failed to stimulate glyconeogenesis. The rates of both glycogenesis and glyconeogenesis were pH sensitive, with optimal rates at pH 6.5-7.0 in both muscles. Glyconeogenesis increased by 49% in the soleus and by 39% EDL at pH 6.5 compared with pH 7.4. Glycogenesis increased in the soleus (SOL) and EDL in the absence (SOL: +22%; EDL: +52%) and presence of insulin (SOL: +22%; EDL: +51%) at pH 6.5 when compared with pH 7.4. In additional experiments with the perfused rat hindquarter, rates of glyconeogenesis were shown to be highly correlated with proportion of FT muscle fibers in a muscle.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)


1999 ◽  
Vol 81 (1) ◽  
pp. 408-411 ◽  
Author(s):  
Dax A. Hoffman ◽  
Daniel Johnston

Hoffman, Dax A. and Daniel Johnston. Neuromodulation of dendritic action potentials. J. Neurophysiol. 81: 408–411, 1999. The extent to which regenerative action potentials invade hippocampal CA1 pyramidal dendrites is dependent on both recent activity and distance from the soma. Previously, we have shown that the amplitude of back-propagating dendritic action potentials can be increased by activating either protein kinase A (PKA) or protein kinase C (PKC) and a subsequent depolarizing shift in the activation curve for dendritic K+ channels. Physiologically, an increase in intracellular PKA and PKC would be expected upon activation of β-adrenergic and muscarinic acetylcholine receptors, respectively. Accordingly, we report here that activation of either of these neurotransmitter systems results in an increase in dendritic action-potential amplitude. Activation of the dopaminergic neurotransmitter system, which is also expected to raise intracellular adenosine 3′,5′-cyclic monophosphate (cAMP) and PKA levels, increased action-potential amplitude in only a subpopulation of neurons tested.


1996 ◽  
Vol 43 (4) ◽  
pp. 693-700 ◽  
Author(s):  
J Moraczewski ◽  
E Piekarska ◽  
M Zimowska ◽  
M Sobolewska

Calpains--non-lysosomal intracellular calcium-activated neutral proteinases, form a family consisting of several distinct members. Two of the isoenzymes: mu (calpain I) and m (calpain II) responded differently to the injury during complete regeneration of Extensor digitorum longus (EDL) muscle and partial regeneration of Soleus muscle. In the crushed EDL the level of m-calpain on the 3rd and 7th day of regeneration was higher than in non-operated muscles, whereas the activity of this calpain in injured Soleus decreased. The level of mu-calpain in EDL oscillated irregularly during regeneration whereas in Soleus of both injured and contralateral muscles its level rapidly rose. Our results support the hypothesis that m-calpain is involved in the process of fusion of myogenic cells whereas mu-calpain plays a significant but indirect role in muscle regeneration.


2016 ◽  
Vol 6 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Shuo Wang ◽  
Bonnie Seaberg ◽  
Ximena Paez-Colasante ◽  
Mendell Rimer

Abstract To test the role of extracellular-signal regulated kinases 1 and 2 (ERK1/2) in slow-twitch, type 1 skeletal muscle fibers, we studied the soleus muscle in mice genetically deficient for myofiber ERK1/2. Young adult mutant soleus was drastically wasted, with highly atrophied type 1 fibers, denervation at most synaptic sites, induction of “fetal” acetylcholine receptor gamma subunit (AChRγ), reduction of “adult” AChRε, and impaired mitochondrial biogenesis and function. In weanlings, fiber morphology and mitochondrial markers were mostly normal, yet AChRγ upregulation and AChRε downregulation were observed. Synaptic sites with fetal AChRs in weanling muscle were ~3% in control and ~40% in mutants, with most of the latter on type 1 fibers. These results suggest that: (1) ERK1/2 are critical for slow-twitch fiber growth; (2) a defective γ/ε-AChR subunit switch, preferentially at synapses on slow fibers, precedes wasting of mutant soleus; (3) denervation is likely to drive this wasting, and (4) the neuromuscular synapse is a primary subcellular target for muscle ERK1/2 function in vivo.


1991 ◽  
Vol 261 (5) ◽  
pp. R1300-R1306 ◽  
Author(s):  
D. I. Finkelstein ◽  
P. Andrianakis ◽  
A. R. Luff ◽  
D. Walker

The influence of the thyroid gland on the functional and histochemical development of fast- and slow-twitch skeletal muscle of fetal sheep has been studied in euthyroid fetal sheep (n = 6) and athyroid fetuses (n = 4) surgically thyroid-ectomized at 70-75 days of gestation. Two fast-twitch muscles, the medial gastrocnemius and extensor digitorum longus, and the slow-twitch soleus muscle were studied at the fetal age of 140 days gestation. The athyroid fetuses had significantly slower twitch contraction and relaxation times in both the medial gastrocnemius and extensor digitorum longus muscles compared with the euthyroid fetuses. Twitch contraction and relaxation times of the soleus were not different in the two groups. Thyroidectomy resulted in an increase in the proportion of fast (type II) muscle fibers and myosin, as shown histochemically and by gel electrophoresis of heavy-chain myosins. These results indicate that the functional maturation of the fast-twitch muscles of sheep is influenced by the presence of an intact thyroid gland from at least 70 days of gestation. In contrast, the slow-twitch soleus muscle fiber diameter and twitch contraction and relaxation times were not different in the two groups.


1987 ◽  
Vol 65 (2) ◽  
pp. 272-273 ◽  
Author(s):  
Michael Chua ◽  
Angela F. Dulhunty

The action of the tranquilizer diazepam on rat skeletal muscle showed that relaxation of isometric twitches is controlled by different processes in extensor digitorum longus (fast-twitch) and soleus (slow-twitch) muscles. Diazepam caused an increase in the amplitude of twitches in fibres from both muscles but increased the twitch duration only in soleus. The amplitude of fused tetani were reduced in both muscles and the rate of relaxation after the tetanus slowed by as much as 34% when the amplitude of the tetanus was reduced by only 11%. The slower tetanic relaxation indicated that calcium uptake by the sarcoplasmic reticulum was slower than normal in slow- and fast-twitch fibres. We conclude therefore that calcium uptake by the sarcoplasmic reticulum is rate limiting for twitch relaxation in slow-twitch but not fast-twitch fibres and suggest that calcium binding to parvalbumin controls relaxation in the fast fibres.


2003 ◽  
Vol 285 (6) ◽  
pp. C1464-C1474 ◽  
Author(s):  
B. Gong ◽  
D. Legault ◽  
T. Miki ◽  
S. Seino ◽  
J. M. Renaud

Although ATP-sensitive K+ (KATP) channel openers depress force, channel blockers have no effect. Furthermore, the effects of channel openers on single action potentials are quite small. These facts raise questions as to whether 1) channel openers reduce force via an activation of KATP channels or via some nonspecific effects and 2) the reduction in force by KATP channels operates by changes in amplitude and duration of the action potential. To answer the first question we tested the hypothesis that pinacidil, a channel opener, does not affect force during fatigue in muscles of Kir6.2-/- mice that have no cell membrane KATP channel activity. When wild-type extensor digitorum longus (EDL) and soleus muscles were stimulated to fatigue with one tetanus per second, pinacidil increased the rate at which force decreased, prevented a rise in resting tension, and improved force recovery. Pinacidil had none of these effects in Kir6.2-/- muscles. To answer the second question, we tested the hypothesis that the effects of KATP channels on membrane excitability are greater during action potential trains than on single action potentials, especially during metabolic stress such as fatigue. During fatigue, M wave areas of control soleus remained constant for 90 s, suggesting no change in action potential amplitude for half of the fatigue period. In the presence of pinacidil, the decrease in M wave areas became significant within 30 s, during which time the rate of fatigue also became significantly faster compared with control muscles. It is therefore concluded that, once activated, KATP channels depress force and that this depression involves a reduction in action potential amplitude.


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