scholarly journals Thin filament diversity and physiological properties of fast and slow fiber types in astronaut leg muscles

2002 ◽  
Vol 92 (2) ◽  
pp. 817-825 ◽  
Author(s):  
Danny A. Riley ◽  
James L. W. Bain ◽  
Joyce L. Thompson ◽  
Robert H. Fitts ◽  
Jeffrey J. Widrick ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Thin Filament ◽  
Thick Filament ◽  
Type I ◽  
Fiber Types ◽  
Shortening Velocity ◽  
Thin Filaments ◽  
Leg Muscles ◽  
Slow Type ◽  
Filament Spacing ◽  
Type I Fibers

Slow type I fibers in soleus and fast white (IIa/IIx, IIx), fast red (IIa), and slow red (I) fibers in gastrocnemius were examined electron microscopically and physiologically from pre- and postflight biopsies of four astronauts from the 17-day, Life and Microgravity Sciences Spacelab Shuttle Transport System-78 mission. At 2.5-μm sarcomere length, thick filament density is ∼1,012 filaments/μm2 in all fiber types and unchanged by spaceflight. In preflight aldehyde-fixed biopsies, gastrocnemius fibers possess higher percentages (∼23%) of short thin filaments than soleus (9%). In type I fibers, spaceflight increases short, thin filament content from 9 to 24% in soleus and from 26 to 31% in gastrocnemius. Thick and thin filament spacing is wider at short sarcomere lengths. The Z-band lattice is also expanded, except for soleus type I fibers with presumably stiffer Z bands. Thin filament packing density correlates directly with specific tension for gastrocnemius fibers but not soleus. Thin filament density is inversely related to shortening velocity in all fibers. Thin filament structural variation contributes to the functional diversity of normal and spaceflight-unloaded muscles.

scholarly journals Substrate profile in rat soleus muscle fibers after hindlimb unloading and fatigue

2000 ◽  
Vol 88 (2) ◽  
pp. 473-478 ◽  
Author(s):  
Varvara P. Grichko ◽  
Anne Heywood-Cooksey ◽  
Kameha R. Kidd ◽  
Robert H. Fitts
Keyword(s):  
Contractile Activity ◽  
Hindlimb Unloading ◽  
Type I ◽  
Fiber Types ◽  
Freeze Dried ◽  
Slow Type ◽  
Utilization Patterns ◽  
Rat Soleus Muscle ◽  
Type I Fibers ◽  
Gastrocnemius Muscles

Limb muscles from rats flown in space and after hindlimb unloading (HU) show an increased fatigability, and spaceflight has been shown to result in a reduced ability to oxidize fatty acids. The purpose of this investigation was to determine the effects of HU on the substrate content in fast- and slow-twitch fibers and to assess the substrate utilization patterns in single slow type I fibers isolated from control and HU animals. A second objective was to assess whether HU altered the ability of the heart or limb muscle to oxidize pyruvate or palmitate. After 2 wk of HU, single fibers were isolated from the freeze-dried soleus and gastrocnemius muscles. HU increased the glycogen content in all fiber types, and it increased lactate, ATP, and phosphocreatine in the slow type I fiber. After HU, the type I fiber substrate profile was shifted toward that observed in fast fibers. For example, fiber glycogen increased from 179 ± 16 to 285 ± 25 mmol/kg dry wt, which approached the 308 ± 23 mmol/kg dry wt content observed in the post-HU type IIa fiber. With contractile activity, the type I fiber from the HU animal showed a greater utilization of glycogen and accumulation of lactate compared with the control type I fiber. HU had no effect on the ability of crude homogenate or mitochondria fractions from the soleus or gastrocnemius to oxidize pyruvate or palmitate. The increased fatigability after HU may have resulted from an elevated glycolysis producing an increased cell lactate and a decreased pH.

scholarly journals Skeletal muscle fiber atrophy: altered thin filament density changes slow fiber force and shortening velocity

2005 ◽  
Vol 288 (2) ◽  
pp. C360-C365 ◽  
Author(s):  
D. A. Riley ◽  
J. L. W. Bain ◽  
J. G. Romatowski ◽  
R. H. Fitts
Keyword(s):  
Thin Filament ◽  
Weight Bearing ◽  
Hindlimb Suspension ◽  
Shortening Velocity ◽  
Cross Sectional ◽  
Thin Filaments ◽  
Specific Tension ◽  
Fast Myosin ◽  
Working Length ◽  
Filament Spacing

Single skinned fibers from soleus and adductor longus (AL) muscles of weight-bearing control rats and rats after 14-day hindlimb suspension unloading (HSU) were studied physiologically and ultrastructurally to investigate how slow fibers increase shortening velocity ( V0) without fast myosin. We hypothesized that unloading and shortening of soleus during HSU reduces densities of thin filaments, generating wider myofilament separations that increase V0 and decrease specific tension (kN/m2). During HSU, plantarflexion shortened soleus working length 23%. AL length was unchanged. Both muscles atrophied as shown by reductions in fiber cross-sectional area. For AL, the 60% atrophy accounted fully for the 58% decrease in absolute tension (mN). In the soleus, the 67% decline in absolute tension resulted from 58% atrophy plus a 17% reduction in specific tension. Soleus fibers exhibited a 25% reduction in thin filaments, whereas there was no change in AL thin filament density. Loss of thin filaments is consistent with reduced cross bridge formation, explaining the fall in specific tension. V0 increased 27% in soleus but was unchanged in AL. The V0 of control and HSU fibers was inversely correlated ( R = −0.83) with thin filament density and directly correlated ( R = 0.78) with thick-to-thin filament spacing distance in a nonlinear fashion. These data indicate that reduction in thin filament density contributes to an increased V0 in slow fibers. Osmotically compacting myofilaments with 5% dextran returned density, spacing, and specific tension and slowed V0 to near-control levels and provided evidence for myofilament spacing modulating tension and V0.

scholarly journals Functional and structural adaptations of skeletal muscle to microgravity

2001 ◽  
Vol 204 (18) ◽  
pp. 3201-3208 ◽  
Author(s):  
Robert H. Fitts ◽  
Danny R. Riley ◽  
Jeffrey J. Widrick
Keyword(s):  
Skeletal Muscle ◽  
Muscle Atrophy ◽  
Peak Force ◽  
Type I ◽  
Type Ii ◽  
Shortening Velocity ◽  
Slow Type ◽  
Fiber Atrophy ◽  
Type I Fibers ◽  
Type Ii Fibers

SUMMARY Our purpose is to summarize the major effects of space travel on skeletal muscle with particular emphasis on factors that alter function. The primary deleterious changes are muscle atrophy and the associated decline in peak force and power. Studies on both rats and humans demonstrate a rapid loss of cell mass with microgravity. In rats, a reduction in muscle mass of up to 37% was observed within 1 week. For both species, the antigravity soleus muscle showed greater atrophy than the fast-twitch gastrocnemius. However, in the rat, the slow type I fibers atrophied more than the fast type II fibers, while in humans, the fast type II fibers were at least as susceptible to space-induced atrophy as the slow fiber type. Space flight also resulted in a significant decline in peak force. For example, the maximal voluntary contraction of the human plantar flexor muscles declined by 20–48% following 6 months in space, while a 21% decline in the peak force of the soleus type I fibers was observed after a 17-day shuttle flight. The reduced force can be attributed both to muscle atrophy and to a selective loss of contractile protein. The former was the primary cause because, when force was expressed per cross-sectional area (kNm−2), the human fast type II and slow type I fibers of the soleus showed no change and a 4% decrease in force, respectively. Microgravity has been shown to increase the shortening velocity of the plantar flexors. This increase can be attributed both to an elevated maximal shortening velocity (V0) of the individual slow and fast fibers and to an increased expression of fibers containing fast myosin. Although the cause of the former is unknown, it might result from the selective loss of the thin filament actin and an associated decline in the internal drag during cross-bridge cycling. Despite the increase in fiber V0, peak power of the slow type I fiber was reduced following space flight. The decreased power was a direct result of the reduced force caused by the fiber atrophy. In addition to fiber atrophy and the loss of force and power, weightlessness reduces the ability of the slow soleus to oxidize fats and increases the utilization of muscle glycogen, at least in rats. This substrate change leads to an increased rate of fatigue. Finally, with return to the 1g environment of earth, rat studies have shown an increased occurrence of eccentric contraction-induced fiber damage. The damage occurs with re-loading and not in-flight, but the etiology has not been established.

scholarly journals Velocity, force, power, and Ca2+ sensitivity of fast and slow monkey skeletal muscle fibers

1998 ◽  
Vol 84 (5) ◽  
pp. 1776-1787 ◽  
Author(s):  
Robert H. Fitts ◽  
Sue C. Bodine ◽  
Janell G. Romatowski ◽  
Jeffrey J. Widrick
Keyword(s):  
Peak Power ◽  
Fiber Type ◽  
Medial Gastrocnemius ◽  
Type I ◽  
Fiber Types ◽  
Type Ii ◽  
Shortening Velocity ◽  
Hybrid Fibers ◽  
Slow Type ◽  
Type Ii Fibers

In this study, we determined the contractile properties of single chemically skinned fibers prepared from the medial gastrocnemius (MG) and soleus (Sol) muscles of adult male rhesus monkeys and assessed the effects of the spaceflight living facility known as the experiment support primate facility (ESOP). Muscle biopsies were obtained 4 wk before and immediately after an 18-day ESOP sit, and fiber type was determined by immunohistochemical techniques. The MG slow type I fiber was significantly smaller than the MG type II, Sol type I, and Sol type II fibers. The ESOP sit caused a significant reduction in the diameter of type I and type I/II (hybrid) fibers of Sol and MG type II and hybrid fibers but no shift in fiber type distribution. Single-fiber peak force (mN and kN/m2) was similar between fiber types and was not significantly different from values previously reported for other species. The ESOP sit significantly reduced the force (mN) of Sol type I and MG type II fibers. This decline was entirely explained by the atrophy of these fiber types because the force per cross-sectional area (kN/m2) was not altered. Peak power of Sol and MG fast type II fiber was 5 and 8.5 times that of slow type I fiber, respectively. The ESOP sit reduced peak power by 25 and 18% in Sol type I and MG type II fibers, respectively, and, for the former fiber type, shifted the force-pCa relationship to the right, increasing the Ca2+ activation threshold and the free Ca2+concentration, eliciting half-maximal activation. The ESOP sit had no effect on the maximal shortening velocity ( V o) of any fiber type. V o of the hybrid fibers was only slightly higher than that of slow type I fibers. This result supports the hypothesis that in hybrid fibers the slow myosin heavy chain would be expected to have a disproportionately greater influence on V o.

MHC polymorphism in rodent plantaris muscle: effects of mechanical overload and hypothyroidism

2000 ◽  
Vol 278 (4) ◽  
pp. C709-C717 ◽  
Author(s):  
Vincent J. Caiozzo ◽  
Fadia Haddad ◽  
Mike Baker ◽  
Sam McCue ◽  
Kenneth M. Baldwin
Keyword(s):  
Relative Proportion ◽  
Combined Treatment ◽  
Protein Isoforms ◽  
Hindlimb Suspension ◽  
Type I ◽  
Fiber Types ◽  
Shortening Velocity ◽  
Slow Type ◽  
Slow Twitch ◽  
Mechanical Overload

In a previous study, it was shown that a combined treatment of hyperthyroidism and hindlimb suspension effectively converted the slow-twitch soleus muscle to a fast-twitch muscle. The objective of this study was to test the hypothesis that hypothyroidism [absence of triiodothyronine (−T3)] and mechanical overload (OV) would convert the plantaris (Plan) muscle from a fast- to a slow-twitch muscle. Single-fiber analyses demonstrated that the normal rodent Plan muscle was composed of ∼13 different fiber types as defined by myosin heavy chain (MHC) isoform content. The largest proportion of fibers (∼35%) coexpressed the fast type IIX and IIB MHC isoforms (i.e., type IIX/IIB fibers). In this context, the combined intervention of −T3 and OV produced a significant reduction in the relative proportion of the fast type IIB MHC isoform and a concomitant increase in the slow type I MHC isoform. These transitions were manifested by a large decrease in the proportion of type IIX/IIB fibers and a large increase in fibers coexpressing all four MHC protein isoforms. The mechanical consequences of these transitions, however, were modest, producing a 15% decrease in maximal shortening velocity. The findings of this study demonstrate that −T3+ OV does produce a partial shift toward a slower phenotype; however, the high degree of polymorphism found in the Plan muscle represents a unique design that appears to minimize the functional consequences of these significant MHC transitions.

scholarly journals Direct correlation of parvalbumin levels with myosin isoforms and succinate dehydrogenase activity on frozen sections of rodent muscle.

1991 ◽  
Vol 39 (3) ◽  
pp. 355-361 ◽  
Author(s):  
E M Füchtbauer ◽  
A M Rowlerson ◽  
K Götz ◽  
G Friedrich ◽  
K Mabuchi ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Small Diameter ◽  
Small Population ◽  
Myosin Atpase ◽  
Type I ◽  
Fiber Types ◽  
Myosin Isoforms ◽  
Frozen Sections ◽  
Fast Fiber ◽  
Slow Type ◽  
Type I Fibers

Parvalbumin (PV) is a soluble Ca++ binding protein which is particularly concentrated in fast muscles of rodents. We have developed a new protocol to fix frozen sections of muscle by formaldehyde vapor, which enabled us to immunochemically stain serial frozen sections for PV. Fiber types were defined on the basis of myosin ATPase stability, and of isomyosins identified by a variety of antibodies because ATPase stability alone yielded ambiguous results in the mouse. Slow Type I fibers in mouse and rat were devoid of PV and had intermediate to high SDH levels. Fast fiber subtypes IIA, IIB, and IIX-like were defined in the mouse on the basis of the similarity of their myosin heavy chain immunoreactivity to these types in the rat. The soleus muscle was usually PV negative, but a small population of strongly PV-positive IIX-like fibers was present in the mouse. In mouse fast muscle, small diameter IIA fibers were PV negative with high SDH activity. In both mouse and rat, PV reactivities of IIB and IIX fibers were higher than those of IIA and I, whereas SDH levels of IIA, IIX, and I fibers were higher than those of IIB. Thus, PV content correlated with the type of myosin ATPase but not with SDH levels. The method described for immunocytochemistry of PV may be applicable to other highly soluble proteins.

scholarly journals Decreased thin filament density and length in human atrophic soleus muscle fibers after spaceflight

2000 ◽  
Vol 88 (2) ◽  
pp. 567-572 ◽  
Author(s):  
Danny A. Riley ◽  
James L. W. Bain ◽  
Joyce L. Thompson ◽  
Robert H. Fitts ◽  
Jeffrey J. Widrick ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Soleus Muscle ◽  
Thin Filament ◽  
Sarcomere Length ◽  
Muscle Fibers ◽  
Thick Filament ◽  
Thin Filaments ◽  
Contraction Velocity ◽  
Cross Bridge ◽  
Filament Spacing

Soleus muscle fibers were examined electron microscopically from pre- and postflight biopsies of four astronauts orbited for 17 days during the Life and Microgravity Sciences Spacelab Mission (June 1996). Myofilament density and spacing were normalized to a 2.4-μm sarcomere length. Thick filament density (∼1,062 filaments/μm2) and spacing (∼32.5 nm) were unchanged by spaceflight. Preflight thin filament density (2,976/μm2) decreased significantly ( P < 0.01) to 2,215/μm2 in the overlap A band region as a result of a 17% filament loss and a 9% increase in short filaments. Normal fibers had 13% short thin filaments. The 26% decrease in thin filaments is consistent with preliminary findings of a 14% increase in the myosin-to-actin ratio. Lower thin filament density was calculated to increase thick-to-thin filament spacing in vivo from 17 to 23 nm. Decreased density is postulated to promote earlier cross-bridge detachment and faster contraction velocity. Atrophic fibers may be more susceptible to sarcomere reloading damage, because force per thin filament is estimated to increase by 23%.

scholarly journals Physiology of a Microgravity Environment Invited Review: Microgravity and skeletal muscle

2000 ◽  
Vol 89 (2) ◽  
pp. 823-839 ◽  
Author(s):  
Robert H. Fitts ◽  
Danny R. Riley ◽  
Jeffrey J. Widrick
Keyword(s):  
Skeletal Muscle ◽  
Muscle Atrophy ◽  
Thin Filament ◽  
Molecular Mechanisms ◽  
Skeletal Muscle Atrophy ◽  
Microgravity Environment ◽  
Type I ◽  
Fiber Types ◽  
Maximal Velocity ◽  
Cross Sectional

Spaceflight (SF) has been shown to cause skeletal muscle atrophy; a loss in force and power; and, in the first few weeks, a preferential atrophy of extensors over flexors. The atrophy primarily results from a reduced protein synthesis that is likely triggered by the removal of the antigravity load. Contractile proteins are lost out of proportion to other cellular proteins, and the actin thin filament is lost disproportionately to the myosin thick filament. The decline in contractile protein explains the decrease in force per cross-sectional area, whereas the thin-filament loss may explain the observed postflight increase in the maximal velocity of shortening in the type I and IIa fiber types. Importantly, the microgravity-induced decline in peak power is partially offset by the increased fiber velocity. Muscle velocity is further increased by the microgravity-induced expression of fast-type myosin isozymes in slow fibers (hybrid I/II fibers) and by the increased expression of fast type II fiber types. SF increases the susceptibility of skeletal muscle to damage, with the actual damage elicited during postflight reloading. Evidence in rats indicates that SF increases fatigability and reduces the capacity for fat oxidation in skeletal muscles. Future studies will be required to establish the cellular and molecular mechanisms of the SF-induced muscle atrophy and functional loss and to develop effective exercise countermeasures.

Rostrocaudal pattern of fiber-type changes in an overloaded rat ankle extensor

1991 ◽  
Vol 71 (2) ◽  
pp. 558-564 ◽  
Author(s):  
P. F. Gardiner ◽  
B. J. Jasmin ◽  
P. Corriveau
Keyword(s):  
Fiber Type ◽  
Muscle Length ◽  
Similar Degree ◽  
Complex Nature ◽  
Type I ◽  
Fiber Types ◽  
Type Ii ◽  
Cross Sectional ◽  
Hypertrophic Response ◽  
Type I Fibers

Our aim was to quantify the overload-induced hypertrophy and conversion of fiber types (type II to I) occurring in the medial head of the gastrocnemius muscle (MG). Overload of MG was induced by a bilateral tenotomy/retraction of synergists, followed by 12–18 wk of regular treadmill locomotion (2 h of walking/running per day on 3 of 4 days). We counted all type I fibers and determined type I and II mean fiber areas in eight equidistant sections taken along the length of control and overloaded MG. Increase in muscle weights (31%), as well as in total muscle cross-sectional areas (37%) and fiber areas (type I, 57%; type II, 34%), attested to a significant hypertrophic response in overloaded MG. An increase in type I fiber composition of MG from 7.0 to 11.5% occurred as a result of overload, with the greatest and only statistically significant changes (approximately 70–100%) being found in sections taken from the most rostral 45% of the muscle length. Results of analysis of sections taken from the largest muscle girth showed that it significantly underestimated the extent of fiber conversion that occurred throughout the muscle as a whole. These data obtained on the MG, which possesses a compartmentalization of fiber types, support the notion that all fiber types respond to this model with a similar degree of hypertrophy. Also, they emphasize the complex nature of the adaptive changes that occur in these types of muscles as a result of overload.

Gene Polymorphisms and Fiber-Type Composition of Human Skeletal Muscle

2012 ◽  
Vol 22 (4) ◽  
pp. 292-303 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ildus I. Ahmetov ◽  
Olga L. Vinogradova ◽  
Alun G. Williams
Keyword(s):  
Skeletal Muscle ◽  
Muscle Fiber ◽  
Human Skeletal Muscle ◽  
Fiber Type ◽  
Vastus Lateralis Muscle ◽  
Type I ◽  
Fiber Types ◽  
Fiber Type Composition ◽  
Type Composition ◽  
Type I Fibers

The ability to perform aerobic or anaerobic exercise varies widely among individuals, partially depending on their muscle-fiber composition. Variability in the proportion of skeletal-muscle fiber types may also explain marked differences in aspects of certain chronic disease states including obesity, insulin resistance, and hypertension. In untrained individuals, the proportion of slow-twitch (Type I) fibers in the vastus lateralis muscle is typically around 50% (range 5–90%), and it is unusual for them to undergo conversion to fast-twitch fibers. It has been suggested that the genetic component for the observed variability in the proportion of Type I fibers in human muscles is on the order of 40–50%, indicating that muscle fiber-type composition is determined by both genotype and environment. This article briefly reviews current progress in the understanding of genetic determinism of fiber-type proportion in human skeletal muscle. Several polymorphisms of genes involved in the calcineurin–NFAT pathway, mitochondrial biogenesis, glucose and lipid metabolism, cytoskeletal function, hypoxia and angiogenesis, and circulatory homeostasis have been associated with fiber-type composition. As muscle is a major contributor to metabolism and physical strength and can readily adapt, it is not surprising that many of these gene variants have been associated with physical performance and athlete status, as well as metabolic and cardiovascular diseases. Genetic variants associated with fiber-type proportions have important implications for our understanding of muscle function in both health and disease.

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