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Passive force enhancement in single myofibrils

  • Skeletal Muscle
  • Published:
Pflügers Archiv - European Journal of Physiology Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

The purpose of this study was to gain further insight into passive force enhancement by testing whether passive force enhancement occurs in single myofibrils. Myofibrils (n = 6) isolated from rabbit psoas muscle were fixed at a sarcomere length of 2.4 μm, and then stretched passively and actively to a sarcomere length of 3.4 μm. Passive force after deactivation of the myofibrils was increased after active compared to passive stretching. Therefore, passive force enhancement, previously observed in muscle and fiber preparations, also occurs in single myofibrils. Passive force enhancement in myofibrils ranged from 86 to 145% of the steady-state force observed after passive stretch. Because titin is the main source of passive force in myofibrils, we propose that titin might be responsible for passive force enhancement observed in myofibrils. We propose that this might occur through an increase in stiffness when calcium concentration increases upon activation.

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Acknowledgment

The authors would like to thank H. M. Brattberg and A. Jinha for their technical assistance. The financial support of Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada (NSERC), the Canadian Institutes of Health Research (CIHR), and the Canada Research Chair Program is greatly acknowledged.

The nanolevers used in this study were constructed at the Cornell NanoScale Facility, which is supported by the National Science Foundation (grant ECS 03-35765).

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Human Performance Laboratory, University of Calgary, Calgary, Canada

    V. Joumaa, T. R. Leonard & W. Herzog

  2. Department of Kinesiology and Physical Education, McGill University, Montreal, Canada

    D. E. Rassier

Authors
  1. V. Joumaa
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  2. D. E. Rassier
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  3. T. R. Leonard
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  4. W. Herzog
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Correspondence to W. Herzog.

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Joumaa, V., Rassier, D.E., Leonard, T.R. et al. Passive force enhancement in single myofibrils. Pflugers Arch - Eur J Physiol 455, 367–371 (2007). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00424-007-0287-2

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00424-007-0287-2

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