Fiber Stretch Research Articles

Concentric intermediate filament lattice links to specialized Z-band junctional complexes in sonic muscle fibers of the type I male midshipman fish

Type I male midshipman fish produce high-frequency hums for prolonged durations using sonic muscle fibers, each of which contains a hollow tube of radially oriented thin and flat myofibrils that display extraordinarily wide (∼1.2 μm) Z bands. We have revealed an elaborate cytoskeletal network of desmin filaments associated with the contractile cylinder that form interconnected concentric ring structures in the core and periphery at the level of the Z bands. Stretch and release of single fibers revealed reversible length changes in the elastic desmin lattice. This lattice is linked to Z bands via novel intracellular desmosome-like junctional complexes that collectively form a ring, termed the “Z corset,” around the periphery and within the core of the cylinder. The junctional complex consists of regularly spaced parallel ∼900-nm-long cytoskeletal rods, or “Z bars,” interconnected with slender (3–4 nm) plectin-positive filaments. Z bars are linked to the Z band by plectin filaments and on the opposite side to a dense mesh of desmin filaments. Adjacent Z bands are linked by slender filaments that appear to suspend sarcotubules. We propose that the highly reinforced elastic desmin cytoskeleton and the unique Z band junctions are structural adaptations that enable the muscles’ high-frequency and high-endurance activity.

Remodelling of continuously distributed collagen fibres in soft connective tissues

Extracellular matrix remodelling plays an essential role in tissue engineering of load-bearing structures. The goal of this study is to model changes in collagen fibre content and orientation in soft connective tissues due to mechanical stimuli. A theory is presented describing the mechanical condition within the tissue and accounting for the effects of collagen fibre alignment and changes in fibre content. A fibre orientation tensor is defined to represent the continuous distribution of collagen fibre directions. A constitutive model is introduced to relate the fibre configuration to the macroscopic stress within the material. The constitutive model is extended with a structural parameter, the fibre volume fraction, to account for the amount of fibres present within the material. It is hypothesised that collagen fibre reorientation is induced by macroscopic deformations and the amount of collagen fibres is assumed to increase with the mean fibre stretch. The capabilities of the model are demonstrated by considering remodelling within a biaxially stretched cube. The model is then applied to analyse remodelling within a closed stented aortic heart valve. The computed preferred fibre orientation runs from commissure to commissure and resembles the fibre directions in the native aortic valve.

Force enhancement by PEG during ramp stretches of skeletal muscle.

We have investigated the effects of a stronger actomyosin bond on force (Ps) during rapid stretch of active permeabilized rabbit psoas muscle fibers as a function of temperature from 5 to 30 degrees C. The strength of the actomyosin bond is enhanced by addition of polyethylene glycol (PEG), especially in pre-powerstroke states [Chinn et al. (2000) Biophys J 49: 437-451]. We have hypothesized that such states produce much of the force when activated muscles are stretched [Getz et al. (1998) Biophys J 75: 2971-2983]. Addition of PEG to activated fibers produced a small increase in isometric tension, Po (50-90 kN/m2), which was approximately independent of temperature. In contrast PEG produced a dramatic increase in Ps at low temperatures (200-300 kN/m2), but a modest increase at higher temperatures (70-90 kN/m2). We also measured Ps and Po in solutions containing the phosphate analog aluminum fluoride (AlF4) with and without PEG. In the absence of PEG, AlF4 reduced Po much more than Ps. Addition of PEG did not enhance Po, but enhanced Ps significantly. The contrasting effects of PEG on Ps and Po, and the effect of temperature can be explained by a model in which stretch force is produced by pre-powerstroke cross-bridges whose maximum distension is increased by PEG, and isometric force is produced by strongly bound cross-bridges whose bond strength is also enhanced by PEG, but to a lesser extent.

Force enhancement above the initial isometric force on the descending limb of the force–length relationship

Edman et al. (J. General Physiol. 80 (1982) 769) observed in single fibres of frog that the steady-state forces following active fibre stretch were greater than the purely isometric force obtained at the length from which the stretch was initiated. Operating on the descending limb of the force–length relationship, such a result can only be explained within the framework of the sarcomere length non-uniformity theory, if some fibre segments shortened during the fibre stretch. However, such a result was not found, leaving Edman's observation unexplained. Force enhancement above the initial isometric force has not been investigated systematically in whole muscle, and therefore it is not known whether this property is also part of whole muscle mechanics. The purpose of this study was to test if the steady-state forces following active stretch of cat semitendinosus were greater than the corresponding purely isometric forces at the muscle length from which the stretch was started. Cat semitendinosus was stretched by various amounts on the descending limb of the force–length relationship, and the steady-state forces following these stretches were compared to the corresponding isometric forces at the initial and final muscle lengths. In 109 of 131 tests, the steady-state forces following stretching were greater than the isometric forces at the initial muscle lengths. Force enhancement increased with increasing amounts of stretching, and force enhancement above the initial isometric force was more likely to occur following stretches of great compared to small amplitude. Passive forces following active muscle stretching were often significantly greater than the passive forces at the same muscle length following an isometric contraction or a passive stretching of the muscle. This observation was made consistently at the longest muscle lengths tested. It appears, therefore, that there is a passive force that accounts for part of the force enhancement above the isometric force at the initial muscle length, and that provides increased passive force when a muscle is actively, rather than passively, stretched at long muscle lengths. We conclude that cat semitendinosus demonstrates steady-state force enhancement above the corresponding purely isometric force at the initial muscle length on the descending limb of the force–length relationship for many contractile conditions, and that a unique, and so far undetected, passive, parallel element contributes to this force enhancement, particularly at long muscle lengths where muscle is assumed to be most vulnerable to injuries associated with sarcomere length instability.

MECHANICAL PROPERTIES OF GREAT ARTERIAL WALL AND CLINICAL IMPLICATION

X-ray diffraction and microscopic analysis investigate the morphological organization of the structural components in the dog carotid wall. Histological analysis confirms an anisotropic morphology of smooth muscle cells and elastic fibers in the tissue. Collagen fibers, as revealed by X-ray diffraction technique, are organized in an isotropic network in the unstretched carotid media. Collagen fibers stretch without a preferential direction of orientation when a carotid segment is deformed in the physiological range under intraluminal pressure. A mathematical model, which takes into account the isotropic distribution of the collagen fibers, is developed. The validity of this model has been tested by computing several mechanical parameters using Anliker's data on the axial and radial oscillation obtained for carotids of living dogs. In spite of the anisotropic morphology of the main constituents of the carotid media layer, from a mechanical point of view the tissue can be considered as an isotropic material for the random distribution of the collagen fibers, which represent the component of higher tensile strength.

Stretching and Slipping of Fibers in Isothermal Draw Processes

We model the drawing of fibers and films on a roller with equations of motion in which centrifugal acceleration and acceleration due to stretching are retained in the momentum equations. An important distinction is that our new solution fundamentally couples fiber tension to fiber stretch, in contrast to all existing solutions, which either neglect stretching acceleration or neglect both centrifugal acceleration and stretching acceleration. We find that the tension and draw ratios between the point of exit to the point of attachment of fibers with the roller depend on three nondimensional parameters. For certain values of these parameters, the exact solution can be approximated either by the quasistatic solution. neglecting both acceleration terms in the momentum equation, or by the solution including only the centrifugal acceleration. The quasistatic approximation underpredicts the tension magnification and draw ratio when the stiffness k of the fibers is less than the initial tension T o, and overpredicts when k is greater than To. The solution including only centrifugal acceleration always underpredicts tension magnification and the amount of draw.

A three-dimensional nonlinear model for dissipative response of soft tissue

A set of three-dimensional constitutive equations is proposed for modeling the nonlinear dissipative response of soft tissue. These constitutive equations are phenomenological in nature and they model a number of physical features that have been observed in soft tissue. The equations model the tissue as a composite of a purely elastic component and a dissipative component, both of which experience the same total dilatation and distortion. The stress response of the purely elastic component depends on dilatation, distortion and the stretch of material fibers, whereas the stress response of the dissipative component depends on distortional deformation only. The equations are hyperelastic in the sense that the stress is obtained by derivatives of a strain energy function, and they are properly invariant under superposed rigid body motions. In contrast with standard viscoelastic models of tissues, the proposed constitutive model includes the total deformation rate in evolution equations that can reproduce the observed physical feature that the hysteresis loops of most biological soft tissues are nearly independent of strain rate (Biomechanics, Mechanical Properties of Living Tissues, second ed. (1993)). Material constants are determined which produce good agreement with uniaxial stress experiments on superficial musculoaponeurotic system and facial skin.

Change in length of relaxed muscle fascicles and tendons with knee and ankle movement in humans.

Ultrasonography was used to measure changes in length of muscle fascicles in relaxed human tibialis anterior and gastrocnemius during passively imposed changes in joint angle. Changes in the length of muscle fascicles were compared to changes in the length of the whole muscle-tendon units calculated from joint angles and anthropometric data. Relaxed muscle fascicles underwent much smaller changes in length than their muscle-tendon units. On average, muscle fascicles in tibialis anterior 'saw' 55 +/- 13 % (mean +/- S.D.) of the total change in muscle-tendon length. This indicates nearly half of the total change in muscle-tendon length was taken up by stretch of tendon. In gastrocnemius, which has relatively long tendons, only 27 +/- 9 % of the total change in muscle-tendon length was transmitted to muscle fascicles. Thus, the tendency for passive movement to be taken up by the tendon was greater for gastrocnemius than tibialis anterior (P = 0.002). For these muscles, the relatively large changes in tendon length across much of the physiological range of muscle-tendon lengths could not wholly be explained by tendon slackness, changes in fibre pennation, or stretch or contraction history of the muscle. Our data confirm that when joints are moved passively, length changes 'seen' by muscle fascicles can be much less than changes in the distance between muscle origin and insertion. This occurs because tendons undergo significant changes in length, even at very low forces.

Effects of mercury on the contractile activity of the right ventricular myocardium.

The increase in right ventricular systolic pressure observed in vivo after the administration of mercury opposes to the idea that the metal depresses the cardiac pump performance. We then investigated the effects of HgCl(2) (0.1 to 2.5 microM) on the contractile activity of the right ventricular myocardium, measuring isometric and tetanic contractions of right ventricular isolated strips, right ventricular isovolumic systolic and diastolic pressures, and the coronary perfusion pressure (0.03 to 3 microM) in constant-flow Langendorff-perfused rat hearts. The results presented here suggest that the acute effects of mercury on the right ventricular myocardium are distinct. When isolated strips of right ventricular wall are used, the contractile depression produced by mercury is manifested. However, when mercury is administered to isolated perfused hearts or in vivo this depressant effect is not revealed. The possible reasons for this behavior are the increased coronary perfusion pressure, which promotes a positive inotropic effect, manifested during the infusion of increasing concentrations of mercury, or the putative stretch of the ventricular fibers, which might cause the increment of diastolic pressure. An interesting finding is that the mechanical activity of the preparations, in which mercury is administered via coronary circulation, is not depressed and, even more, it can increase systolic pressure. However, the nature of this protective effect of coronary circulation cannot be explained by the results presented here.

Kink surfaces in a directionally reinforced neo-Hookean material under plane deformation: I. Mechanical equilibrium

Stationary kinks (elastostatic shocks) are examined in the context of a base neo-Hookean response augmented with unidirectional reinforcing that is characterized by a single additional constitutive parameter for the additional fiber reinforcing stiffness. Previous work has shown that such a transversely isotropic material can lose ellipticity in plane deformation if the reinforcing is sufficiently large and the fiber direction is sufficiently compressed. Here we show that the same reinforcing levels can give rise to piecewise smooth plane deformations separated by a plane stationary kink. Attention is restricted to deformations in which, on one side of the kink, the load axis is aligned with the fiber axis. Then the fiber stretch on this side of the kink is a natural load parameter. It is found that such a deformation can support a planar kink for a certain range of this load parameter. This range is dependent on the reinforcing parameter, and can even involve fiber extension if the reinforcing is sufficiently large. The set of all deformation states on the other side of the kink is precisely characterized in terms of a one-parameter family of (kink orientation, kink strength)-pairs. The results are interpreted in terms of the associated fiber alignment discontinuity and fiber stretch discontinuity.

A role for the sarcolemmal Na(+)/H(+) exchanger in the slow force response to myocardial stretch.

Although the contractile performance of the myocardium is under continuous nervous and hormonal regulation, the myocardium possesses a number of intrinsic, load-dependent mechanisms by which it can adjust cardiac output to meet the needs of the circulation over periods ranging from seconds to years. In isolated hearts, an increase in ventricular end-diastolic volume (EDV), produced by increased venous return or decreased aortic outflow, leads immediately to a more powerful contraction via the Frank-Starling mechanism (“heterometric autoregulation”1 ), so that cardiac output increases over a few beats to match venous return. However, over the next few minutes, there is a further increase in myocardial performance, such that EDV returns toward its original value. This second autoregulatory mechanism, the “Anrep effect”2 or “homeometric autoregulation,”1 allows a given change in cardiac output to be achieved with a smaller change in EDV than if the Frank-Starling effect were the only compensatory mechanism. Finally, if the increase in EDV or wall stress is maintained, genes are switched on that eventually lead to myocardial cell hypertrophy. Much is known about the cellular and molecular basis of the Frank-Starling mechanism and of the initial stages of load-induced hypertrophy, but the processes responsible for the Anrep effect are poorly understood. In this issue of Circulation Research , Alvarez et al3 suggest a novel mechanism for the slow increase in myocardial contractility: a stretch-induced activation of the sarcolemmal Na+/H+ exchanger (NHE) by local autocrine/paracrine systems involving angiotensin II (Ang II) and endothelin-1 (ET-1). Our knowledge of the cellular mechanisms involved in the time-dependent increase in contractility after myocardial fiber stretch has come chiefly from studies in which fiber length is controlled (for reviews, see References 44 –6). Parmley and Chuck7 were the first to show that stretch of isolated papillary …

The Stretching and Slipping of Belts and Fibers on Pulleys

We derive the equations of motion for an extensible belt on a pulley in which all effects of inertia, including (for the first time) acceleration due to stretching, are retained in the momentum balance. These equations are also valid for fibers and films on rollers undergoing cold draw. We apply our equations to the problem of torque transmission by a belt between two pulleys, and compare the resulting solution to solutions in which centrifugal acceleration is included but stretching acceleration is neglected (the common engineering practice), and the solution in which both centrifugal and stretching accelerations are neglected. We find that ignoring both centrifugal and stretching accelerations results in an overprediction of the maximum moment that can be transmitted, and, for a given transmitted moment, underprediction of the slip angles on the driving and driven pulleys and overprediction of belt strain rates and normal and frictional forces from the pulley on the belt in the slip zones. The common engineering practice of including the effects of centrifugal acceleration but neglecting stretching acceleration also results in errors, for example underpredicting the maximum moment that can be transmitted, overpredicting the slip angles, and underpredicting belt strain rates and normal and frictional forces on the driving pulley. The percentage error increases as the ratios of belt stiffness to centrifugal acceleration or initial belt tension decrease. [S0021-8936(00)01401-X]

Recovery as a measure of oriented crystalline structure in poly(ether ester)s based on poly(ethylene oxide) and poly(ethylene terephthalate) used as shape memory polymers

Poly(ether ester)s consisting of poly(ethylene oxide) and poly(ethylene terephthalate) segments, EOET copolymers, could be used as shape memory polymers (SMP). Crystalline structural characters of the copolymers during the memory process were investigated by dynamic mechanical analysis, differential scanning calorimeter, wide-angle X-ray diffraction, polarizing microscopy, and recovery measurements. PEO crystals in stretched EOET copolymer preferentially oriented along fiber axis or stretch direction. During stretching, the structure of the copolymer undertake a transformation from spherulite to fiber, resulting in a crystalline morphology similar to shish-kebab, and recovery properties of stretched EOET samples were dependent on as-described crystalline structural characters that can be influenced by draw ratio. Driving forces for contraction come from the oriented chains, and only oriented or extended chains can be contributive to the recovery of deformation; these extended chains involve both crystalline and amorphous segments. The recovery process in shape memory behavior was noticed to be deorientation of oriented chains due to thermodynamic entropy effect, and was divided into three stages.

In vivo muscle force-length behavior during steady-speed hopping in tammar wallabies.

Moderate to large macropodids can increase their speed while hopping with little or no increase in energy expenditure. This has been interpreted by some workers as resulting from elastic energy savings in their hindlimb tendons. For this to occur, the muscle fibers must transmit force to their tendons with little or no length change. To test whether this is the case, we made in vivo measurements of muscle fiber length change and tendon force in the lateral gastrocnemius (LG) and plantaris (PL) muscles of tammar wallabies Macropus eugenii as they hopped at different speeds on a treadmill. Muscle fiber length changes were less than +/-0.5 mm in the plantaris and +/-2.2 mm in the lateral gastrocnemius, representing less than 2 % of total fiber length in the plantaris and less than 6 % in the lateral gastrocnemius, with respect to resting length. The length changes of the plantaris fibers suggest that this occurred by means of elastic extension of attached cross-bridges. Much of the length change in the lateral gastrocnemius fibers occurred at low force early in the stance phase, with generally isometric behavior at higher forces. Fiber length changes did not vary significantly with increased hopping speed in either muscle (P>0.05), despite a 1. 6-fold increase in muscle-tendon force between speeds of 2.5 and 6.0 m s-1. Length changes of the PL fibers were only 7+/-4 % and of the LG fibers 34+/-12 % (mean +/- S.D., N=170) of the stretch calculated for their tendons, resulting in little net work by either muscle (plantaris 0.01+/-0.03 J; gastrocnemius -0.04+/-0.30 J; mean +/- s.d. ). In contrast, elastic strain energy stored in the tendons increased with increasing speed and averaged 20-fold greater than the shortening work performed by the two muscles. These results show that an increasing amount of strain energy stored within the hindlimb tendons is usefully recovered at faster steady hopping speeds, without being dissipated by increased stretch of the muscles' fibers. This finding supports the view that tendon elastic saving of energy is an important mechanism by which this species is able to hop at faster speeds with little or no increase in metabolic energy expenditure.

A structurally based stress-stretch relationship for tendon and ligament.

We propose a mechanical model for tendon or ligament stress-stretch behavior that includes both microstructural and tissue level aspects of the structural hierarchy in its formulation. At the microstructural scale, a constitutive law for collagen fibers is derived based on a strain-energy formulation. The three-dimensional orientation and deformation of the collagen fibrils that aggregate to form fibers are taken into consideration. Fibril orientation is represented by a probability distribution function that is axisymmetric with respect to the fiber. Fiber deformation is assumed to be incompressible and axisymmetric. The matrix is assumed to contribute to stress only through a constant hydrostatic pressure term. At the tissue level, an average stress versus stretch relation is computed by assuming a statistical distribution for fiber straightening during tissue loading. Fiber straightening stretch is assumed to be distributed according to a Weibull probability distribution function. The resulting comprehensive stress-stretch law includes seven parameters, which represent structural and microstructural organization, fibril elasticity, as well as a failure criterion. The failure criterion is stretch based. It is applied at the fibril level for disorganized tissues but can be applied more simply at a fiber level for well-organized tissues with effectively parallel fibrils. The influence of these seven parameters on tissue stress-stretch response is discussed and a simplified form of the model is shown to characterize the nonlinear experimentally determined response of healing medial collateral ligaments. In addition, microstructural fibril organizational data (Frank et al., 1991, 1992) are used to demonstrate how fibril organization affects material stiffness according to the formulation. A simplified form, assuming a linearly elastic fiber stress versus stretch relationship, is shown to be useful for quantifying experimentally determined nonlinear toe-in and failure behavior of tendons and ligaments. We believe this ligament and tendon stress-stretch law can be useful in the elucidation of the complex relationships between collagen structure, fibril elasticity, and mechanical response.

Probes bound to myosin Cys-707 rotate during length transients in contraction.

It is widely conjectured that muscle shortens because portions of myosin molecules (the "cross-bridges") impel the actin filament to which they transiently attach and that the impulses result from rotation of the cross-bridges. Crystallography indicates that a cross-bridge is articulated-consisting of a globular catalytic/actin-binding domain and a long lever arm that may rotate. Conveniently, a rhodamine probe with detectable attitude can be attached between the globular domain and the lever arm, enabling the observer to tell whether the anchoring region rotates. Well-established signature effects observed in shortening are tension changes resulting from the sudden release or quick stretch of active muscle fibers. In this investigation we found that closely correlated with such tension changes are changes in the attitude of the rhodamine probes. This correlation strongly supports the conjecture about how shortening is achieved.

Influence of stimulation frequency and fibre stretch on spectral characteristics of muscle fibre potentials during continuous activity

Influence of stimulation frequency and fibre stretch on spectral characteristics of muscle fibre potentials during continuous activity

Electroesophagogram in achalasia of the esophagus

The electric activity of the esophagus (electroesophagogram) was studied in 19 achalasia patients (12 women, seven men, mean age 36.6 years) and 11 healthy volunteers as controls (seven women, four men, mean age 38.4 years). One electrode was applied to the upper and another to the lower esophagus. The test was repeated after the upper electrode had been moved to the mid-esophagus. The electroesophagogram of the normal subjects showed pacesetter potentials, which consisted of negative deflections and exhibited the same frequency, amplitude and velocity from the two electrodes regardless of whether they were located in the upper, middle or lower third of the esophagus. Action potentials occurred randomly. In achalasia, three electroesophagographic patterns were defined. ‘Bradyesophagia’ occurred in four patients with achalasia. The pacesetter potentials showed diminished frequency, amplitude and velocity (P < 0.05) and had a regular rhythm; also, action potentials were less frequent than normal. ‘Esophagoarrhythmia’ was recorded in eight patients with achalasia. The pacesetter potentials exhibited irregular frequency, amplitude and velocity. Action potentials were not recorded. ‘Silent’ electroesophagogram was registered in seven patients with achalasia; it showed no pacesetter potentials or action potentials. The three patterns seem to represent different stages in one pathologic process. It is suggested that the progressive stretch of the esophageal muscle fibers which occurs in achalasia results in derangement of the esophageal electric activity as is evident from the aforementioned three patterns; the electric activity was ultimately lost. Determination of the esophageal electric activity may be of significance as an investigative tool in the diagnosis and differentiation of the various types of esophageal dysmotility.

Simulation of dynamic fusimotor effects in the discharge frequency of Ia afferents by prestretching the muscle spindle.

The discharge patterns of primary muscle spindle afferents from the tibial anterior muscle of the cat were recorded under a ramp-and-hold stretch of constant amplitude (7 mm) and stretch rates varying between 1 and 50 mm/s. With seven Ia fibers, the discharge patterns were recorded under various dynamic gamma stimulation frequencies of between 10 and 120 stimuli per second. With 26 passive spindle fibers of the type known as bag1 Ia fibers, the discharge patterns were obtained under progressively increasing prestretch of the muscle. From each discharge pattern the following discharge frequencies were read: the initial activity (the discharge frequency before the start of ramp stretching), the peak dynamic discharge (the discharge frequency at the end of the dynamic phase of stretching), the maximum static value (MSt; the discharge frequency at the beginning of the static phase of stretching), and the final static value (the discharge frequency at the end of the 3rd s of the plateau phase). These four discharge frequency values were plotted against MSt, in separate diagrams for the Ia fibers under dynamic gamma stimulation and for the bag1 Ia fibers. The relationship between the four discharge frequency values and the MSt turned out to be the same-or much the same-for both groups of Ia fibers. This means that the two groups of Ia fibers produced (more or less) identical discharge patterns in response to the ramp-and-hold stretch. In addition, where Ia fibers of the two groups had the same MSt, their dynamic and static responses were determined. Under these circumstances no difference was found in respect to their stretch properties between Ia fibers of dynamically gamma-activated spindles and bag1 Ia fibers of passive spindles. In the Discussion, the high degree of similarity in the behavior of the two groups of Ia fibers is explained in terms of the mechanical properties of intrafusal bag1 fibers, which render it likely that in passive intrafusal bag1 fibers stretch activation will evoke the same mechanical behavior as dynamic gamma activation.

Neurovascular intact muscle transposition for anal sphincter repair

To study muscle behavior for anal sphincter repair, radiologic, manometric, and histologic techniques in a dog animal model have been used. Special attention was given to the problem of resting length of the transposed muscle. The semitendinosus muscle of the dog could be transposed successfully to create a new anal sphincter based on an intact neurovascular pedicle. The parallel-fibered muscle was split at its distal end and encircled around the anal canal. Manometry was performed intraoperatively and postoperatively. A sufficiency high basal and squeeze pressure had to be obtained intraoperatively to guarantee a final continent neosphincter. This could be realized by a progressive stretching of the muscle until maximum squeeze is reached. In one animal a pacemaker was implanted, and postoperatively a fixed sphincter stimulation protocol was started. Muscle biopsies of the normal anal sphincter and the neosphincter were taken. 1) Muscle transposition gave a high degree of continence in this experimental model, with a mean resting pressure of +/- 40 mmHg and a mean squeezing pressure of +/- 73 mmHg. 2) Electric stimulation of the neosphincter in one animal influenced the resting pressure but not the squeeze pressure. 3) Muscle fiber type composition changed toward a slow fiber type composition after transposition of the fast muscle and even more after stimulation. 1) Creation of a muscle cuff around the anal sphincter can substitute normal anal sphincter. 2) Adequate stretch of muscle fibers is essential for continence. 3) Electrical pacing helps preserve resting tension and subsequent continence.