Resistance to disuse atrophy in a turtle hindlimb muscle

The purpose of this study was to characterize the changes in a turtle hindlimb muscle (external gastrocnemius) after exposure to three conditions of disuse: immobilization, tenotomy, and spinalization. Histochemical analysis and measurement of muscle fiber cross-sectional area and weighted cross-sec...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Journal of Comparative Physiology 2004-04, Vol.190 (4), p.321-329, Article 321
Main Authors: McDonagh, J C, Callister, R J, Favron, M L, Stuart, D G
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Adenosine Triphosphatases - metabolism
Analysis of Variance
Animals
Body Weight - physiology
Glycerolphosphate Dehydrogenase - metabolism
Hindlimb - physiopathology
Histological Techniques - methods
Immobilization
Muscle Denervation - methods
Muscle Fibers, Skeletal - pathology
Muscle Fibers, Skeletal - physiology
Muscle, Skeletal - pathology
Muscle, Skeletal - physiopathology
Muscular Disorders, Atrophic - pathology
Muscular Disorders, Atrophic - physiopathology
Muscular system
NAD - metabolism
Organ Size - physiology
Spinal Cord Injuries
Trachemys scripta elegans
Turtles
Water shortages
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Summary:The purpose of this study was to characterize the changes in a turtle hindlimb muscle (external gastrocnemius) after exposure to three conditions of disuse: immobilization, tenotomy, and spinalization. Histochemical analysis and measurement of muscle fiber cross-sectional area and weighted cross-sectional area were used to assess the potential conversion of muscle fiber types and changes in fiber size. It was found that unlike its counterpart in mammalian endotherms, the external gastrocnemius muscle of the adult turtle, Trachemys scripta elegans, was remarkably resistant to each model of reduced muscle function. It is suggested that such resistance to disuse is due to intrinsic mechanisms that enable heterothermic mammals and ectothermic vertebrates to tolerate an unfavorable climate and food and water shortages by using hypometabolic states.
ISSN:0340-7594
1432-1351
DOI:10.1007/s00359-004-0501-z