Summary
The slow anterior latissimus dorsi muscle (ALD) of the pigeon was denervated surgically and examined after varying post-operative intervals. Muscles were studied with respect to changes in weight, histological and ultrastructural alterations, and changes in size and number of fibers. The weights of the denervated muscles increased over the contralateral control, reaching a maximum hypertrophy in the first 18 days, but the hypertrophy persisted for several months. The fibers of the denervated muscle did not hypertrophy. They showed a gradation in size from the posterior to the anterior border, with the fibers in the anterior third of the muscle being the smallest. After measuring cross-sectional sizes from the anterior, middle, and posterior thirds of the muscle, the overall fiber change was one of atrophy.
Morphologically, the fibers showed various signs of pathological changes, including nuclear proliferation, swelling and migration away from the sarcolemmal position, vacuolation, myofibril degeneration, connective-tissue infiltration and replacement of the fibers, and regenerative activities in the form of budding and myoblast formation. A condition termed a peripheral rim of degeneration is described. Although many abnormal conditions were found in these denervated muscles, much of the muscle appeared normal; the neurotrophic relationship of slow muscle is discussed.
Similar content being viewed by others
References
Bajusz, E.: “Red” skeletal muscle fibers: relative independence of neural control. Science 145, 938–939 (1964).
Bock, W. J., Hikida, R. S.: Analysis of fiber types in the hatching muscle. Condor 70, 211–222 (1968).
Buller, A. J., Eccles, J. C., Eccles, R. M.: Interactions between motoneurones and muscles in respect of the characteristic speeds of their responses. J. Physiol. (Lond.) 150, 417–439 (1960).
Buller, A. J., Lewis, D. M.: Further observations on mammalian cross-innervated skeletal muscle. J. Physiol. (Lond.) 178, 343–358 (1965).
Close, R.: Dynamic properties of fast and slow skeletal muscles of the rat after nerve cross-union. J. Physiol. (Lond.) 204, 331–346 (1969).
Close, R., Hoh, J. F. Y.: Effects of nerve cross-union on fast-twitch and slow-graded muscle fibres in the toad. J. Physiol. (Lond.) 198, 103–125 (1968).
Engel, W. K., Brooke, M. H., Nelson, P. G.: Histochemical studies of denervated or tenotomized cat muscle; illustrating difficulties in relating experimental animal conditions to human neuromuscular diseases. Ann. N.Y. Acad. Sci. 138 (1), 160–185 (1966).
Engel, W. K., Cunningham, G. G.: Rapid examination of muscle tissue. An improved trichrome method for fresh-frozen biopsy sections. Neurology (Minneap.) 13, 919–923 (1963).
Feng, T. P., Jung, H. W., Wu, W. Y.: The contrasting trophic changes of the anterior and posterior latissimus dorsi of the chick following denervation. In: E. Gutmann and P. Hník (eds.), The effect of use and disuse on neuromuscular functions, p. 431–441. Prague: Publishing House of the Czechoslovak Academy of Sciences 1963.
Franzini-Armstrong, C.: Studies of the triad. I. Structure of the junction in frog twitch fibers. J. Cell Biol. 47, 488–499 (1971).
Ginsborg, B. L.: Some properties of avian skeletal muscle fibres with multiple neuromuscular junctions. J. Physiol. (Lond.) 154, 581–598 (1960).
Hess, A.: Structural differences of fast and slow extrafusal muscle fibres and their nerve endings in chickens. J. Physiol. (Lond.) 157, 221–231 (1961).
Hess, A., Rosner, S.: The satellite cell bud and myoblast in denervated mammalian muscle fibers. Amer. J. Anat. 129, 21–40 (1970).
Hikida, R. S.: Fine structure of avian fast and slow skeletal muscles. Amer. Zool. 8, 808–809, Abstr. (1968).
Hikida, R. S.: Denervation atrophy (hypertrophy?) of avian slow skeletal muscle. Amer. Zool. 10, 557. Abstr. (1970).
Hikida, R. S., Bock, W. J.: The structure of pigeon muscle and its changes due to tenotomy. J. exp. Zool. 175, 343–356 (1970).
Hikida, R. S., Bock, W. J.: Innervation of the avian tonus latissimus dorsi anterior muscle. Amer. J. Anat. 130, 269–280 (1971).
Hník, P., Jirmanová, I., Vyklicky, L., Zelená, J.: Fast and slow muscles of the chick after nerve cross-union. J. Physiol. (Lond.) 193, 309–325 (1967).
Jirmanová, I., Zelená, J.: Effect of denervation and tenotomy on slow and fast muscles of the chicken. Z. Zellforsch. 106, 333–347 (1970).
Krüger, P.: Tetanus und Tonus der quergestreiften Skelettmuskeln der Wirbeltiere und des Menschen. Leipzig: Akad. Verlag 1952.
Miledi, R., Orkand, P.: Effect of a “fast” nerve on “slow” muscle fibres in the frog. Nature (Lond.) 209, 717–718 (1966).
Peachey, L. D.: The sarcoplasmic reticulum and transverse tubules of the frog's sartorius. J. Cell Biol. 25, 209–231 (1965).
Sola, O. M., Martin, H. W.: Denervation hypertrophy and atrophy of the hemidiaphragm of the rat. Amer. J. Physiol. 172, 324–332 (1953).
Stewart, D. M., Martin, H. W.: Hypertrophy of the denervated hemidiaphragm. Amer. J. Physiol. 186, 497–500 (1956).
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Additional information
This investigation was supported in part by a Public Health Service Fellowship, 2 F 2 NB 35, 582, from the National Institute of Neurological Diseases and Stroke, and by an Ohio University Research Grant to R. Hikida; and a grant 5 RO 1 AN 10856 from the National Institute of Arthritis and Metabolic Diseases to W. Bock.
The authors wish to acknowledge gratefully the skillful technical assistance of Mr. Lawrence Mezza and Miss Sally Mitchell.
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Hikida, R.S., Bock, W.J. Effect of denervation on pigeon slow skeletal muscle. Z.Zellforsch 128, 1–18 (1972). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00306884
Received:
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00306884