In 3 or 18 day old Wistar rats the hindlimb muscles were partially denervated by cutting the L4 spinal nerve. Three months later, the effects of partial denervation of the fast extensor digitorum longus (EDL) muscle on the activity of its remaining motor units were studied using electromyographic (EMG) recordings in freely moving animals. In spite of a reduced number of motor units the amount o...

We have studied the effect of chronic thyroid status alterations on the myosin heavy chain (MyHC) isoform composition (by SDS-PAGE) and on MyHC mRNA levels (by RT-PCR) in the fast extensor digitorum longus (EDL) muscle of 7-month-old inbred Lewis strain female rats and compared this with corresponding results of the previously studied slow soleus muscle. Our findings show that in the EDL muscle...

We examined the expression of myosin heavy chain (MyHC) isoforms and forkhead box transcription factor O1 (FoxO1) in porcine soleus and extensor digitorum longus (EDL) muscles to clarify the correlation of FoxO1 and the relative abundance of transcripts of MyHC isoforms. Soleus muscle was found to be redder than EDL muscles in pigs, and immunohistochemical fast MyHC staining showed more oxidati...

The relationships among fiber type, glucose transporter (GLUT-4) protein content, and glucose transport activity stimulated maximally with insulin and/or contractile activity were studied by use of the rat epitrochlearis (15% type I-20% type II2a-65% type IIb), soleus (84-16-0%), extensor digitorum longus (EDL, 3-57-40%), and flexor digitorum brevis (FDB, 7-92-1%) muscles. Insulin-stimulated 2-...

In this study the HIF-1 signaling pathway was comparatively studied in fast (EDL) and slow (soleus) muscles in basal normoxic conditions and under normobaric hypoxia (10% oxygen). In normoxia HIF-1α transcription was determined by Real Time PCR and found similar in EDL and in soleus, whereas HIF-1α dependent transcription, explored by Real Time PCR of VEGF which is known as a HIF-1α regulated g...

The deterioration of tibialis anterior (TA) and extensor digitorum longus (EDL) muscles in dystrophic mice (C 57 BL dy/dy) was compared. The effects of chronic electrical stimulation on various characteristic properties of these muscles were also studied. The results indicate that EDL muscles are less affected by the disease than TA. This "selectivity" is difficult to explain since both muscles...

BACKGROUND The diaphragm is resistant to competitive neuromuscular blocking agents, as compared to peripheral muscles. The basis of this difference may be a higher concentration of acetylcholine released or higher number of postsynaptic nicotinic acetylcholine receptors in diaphragmatic neuromuscular junctions. METHODS Nerve-evoked twitch-tension was measured in rat hemidiaphragm as was Exten...

It has been proposed that aquaporin-4 (AQP4), a water channel expressed at the plasmalemma of skeletal muscle cells, is important in normal muscle physiology and in the pathophysiology of Duchenne's muscular dystrophy. To test this hypothesis, muscle water permeability and function were compared in wild-type and AQP4 knockout mice. Immunofluorescence and freeze-fracture electron microscopy show...

We have investigated whether rat motor nerve terminals with different in vivo activity patterns also have different vesicle trafficking characteristics. To do this, we monitored, using combined optical and electrical techniques, the rate of exocytosis (during different frequencies and patterns of activity), the releasable pool size, and the recycle time of synaptic vesicles in terminals on sole...

Low-energy density has long been the major limitation to the application of supercapacitors. Introducing topological defects and dopants in carbon-based electrodes in a supercapacitor improves the performance by maximizing the gravimetric capacitance per mass of the electrode. However, the main mechanisms governing this capacitance improvement are still unclear. We fabricated planar electrodes ...