Muscle fiber types in the cat middle ear muscles. II. Tensor tympani.

Abstract

Using quantitative histochemical techniques, it was determined that the tensor tympani muscle of the cat consists of three muscle fiber types: type 1, type 2A (staining characteristics similar to the type 1 and type 2A muscle fibers found in the control tibialis anterior muscles), and a third unclassified fiber type (type 3) similar to the 2A fiber type except that it had extremely dense alkaline actomyosin adenosine triphosphatase staining (mean transmittance, type 2A = 33.6%; type 3 = 17.3%), as well as dense staining for periodic acid-Schiff, menadione-linked alpha-glycerolphosphate dehydrogenase, nicotinamide-adenine dinucleotide tetrazolium reductase, and succinic dehydrogenase. The type 1 fiber population was smaller in diameter (mean +/- SD, 14 +/- 4 microns) than the type 2A fiber (mean +/- SD, 21 +/- 5 microns) and the type 3 fiber (mean +/- SD, 22 +/- 6 microns) populations. In all muscles, intrafascicular and extrafascicular fat accumulations were found, with the majority being extrafascicular. Calculations indicate that the tendon occupies approximately 41% of the total muscle volume, while the muscle fibers constitute 59% of the volume.