Architectural alterations of rat hind-limb skeletal muscles immobilized at different lengths

Abstract

Modifications in architectural profiles of the rat soleus (Sol), medial gastrocnemius (MG), and tibialis anterior (TA) muscles were studied after hind-limb immobilization with an external brace. The muscles were chronically lengthened, shortened, or maintained at approximately resting length (neutral) for 4 weeks, when muscle weight and length, and cross-sectional areas of fibers (F-XSA) and whole muscle were measured. Compared with control muscles, the Sol and MG immobilized in a lengthened position were able to maintain muscle weight better than when immobilized neutrally (approximately 85 versus 55% of control weight) due, in part, to elongation of muscle fibers of the Sol and MG (123 and 111% of control length, respectively). In addition, the F-XSAs of lengthened Sol and MG muscles were 72 and 20% greater, respectively, compared with neutrally fixed muscle fibers. Immobilization in a shortened position resulted in the most extreme muscle atrophy due to significantly shorter fibers (86% of control Sol; 74% of control MG) and reduced F-XSA (42% of control Sol; 42% of control MG). In contrast to the Sol and MG, muscle weight, fiber length, and F-XSA of the TA immobilized with the ankle in extreme plantarflexion were not significantly different from neurtrally fixed muscle. That the TA was unaffected in this position is due presumably to a difference in the anatomic attachment of the distal tendon of this muscle, compared with that of the Sol and MG. These results suggest that for muscle affected by immobilization at extreme joint angles, chronic lengthening is a potent stimulus for elongation of muscle fibers and more normally maintained F-XSA. In contrast, the removal of this stimulus leads to extreme muscle atrophy which is manifested by reductions in both muscle fiber length and F-XSA.