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Further histochemical properties of rabbit skeletal muscle fibres

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Summary

The histochemical activities of succinic dehydrogenase (SDH), creatine kinase (CK), sarcoplasmic reticular ATPase (SR-ATPase) and myosin ATPase were studied in serial sections of rabbit adductor muscle. Three fibre types were distinguished depending upon the distribution of the enzyme activities. The type II “white” fibres posessing minimal SDH showed high myosin ATPase, SR-ATPase and ATPase dependent CK activities. “Red” oxidative fibres showing high SDH fell into two distinct groups: One category had mainly a peripheral localization of SDH and showed an enzymatic profile identical to that of type II white fibres. The second category of “red” fibres displayed both a homogeneous distribution of small diformazan granules throughout the fibre as well as a sub-sarcolemmal collection when tested for SDH activity but possessed very low amounts of reaction product of the various enzymes of the energetic metabolism studied. Since it is well established that the myosin ATPase of a fibre correlates with its contraction time, the present histochemical investigation provides further support for this concept by demonstrating the presence of high SR-ATPase and ATPase dependent CK activities in all white and red fibres rich in myosin ATPase.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Pathology, School of Medicine, Perth Medical Centre, University of Western Australia, 6009, Hollywood, Western Australia

    M. A. Khan, J. M. Papadimitriou, P. G. Holt & B. A. Kakulas

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  1. M. A. Khan
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  2. J. M. Papadimitriou
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  3. P. G. Holt
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  4. B. A. Kakulas
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Khan, M.A., Papadimitriou, J.M., Holt, P.G. et al. Further histochemical properties of rabbit skeletal muscle fibres. Histochemie 36, 173–183 (1973). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00304392

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