Total Number Of Fibers Research Articles

Crossing fibers detection with an analytical high order tensor decomposition.

Diffusion magnetic resonance imaging (dMRI) is the only technique to probe in vivo and noninvasively the fiber structure of human brain white matter. Detecting the crossing of neuronal fibers remains an exciting challenge with an important impact in tractography. In this work, we tackle this challenging problem and propose an original and efficient technique to extract all crossing fibers from diffusion signals. To this end, we start by estimating, from the dMRI signal, the so-called Cartesian tensor fiber orientation distribution (CT-FOD) function, whose maxima correspond exactly to the orientations of the fibers. The fourth order symmetric positive definite tensor that represents the CT-FOD is then analytically decomposed via the application of a new theoretical approach and this decomposition is used to accurately extract all the fibers orientations. Our proposed high order tensor decomposition based approach is minimal and allows recovering the whole crossing fibers without any a priori information on the total number of fibers. Various experiments performed on noisy synthetic data, on phantom diffusion, data and on human brain data validate our approach and clearly demonstrate that it is efficient, robust to noise and performs favorably in terms of angular resolution and accuracy when compared to some classical and state-of-the-art approaches.

Chemically extracted acellular allogeneic nerve graft combined with ciliary neurotrophic factor promotes sciatic nerve repair.

A chemically extracted acellular allogeneic nerve graft can reduce postoperative immune rejection, similar to an autologous nerve graft, and can guide neural regeneration. However, it remains poorly understood whether a chemically extracted acellular allogeneic nerve graft combined with neurotrophic factors provides a good local environment for neural regeneration. This study investigated the repair of injured rat sciatic nerve using a chemically extracted acellular allogeneic nerve graft combined with ciliary neurotrophic factor. An autologous nerve anastomosis group and a chemical acellular allogeneic nerve bridging group were prepared as controls. At 8 weeks after repair, sciatic functional index, evoked potential amplitude of the soleus muscle, triceps wet weight recovery rate, total number of myelinated nerve fibers and myelin sheath thickness were measured. For these indices, values in the three groups showed the autologous nerve anastomosis group > chemically extracted acellular nerve graft + ciliary neurotrophic factor group > chemical acellular allogeneic nerve bridging group. These results suggest that chemically extracted acellular nerve grafts combined with ciliary neurotrophic factor can repair sciatic nerve defects, and that this repair is inferior to autologous nerve anastomosis, but superior to chemically extracted acellular allogeneic nerve bridging alone.

The Mouse Median Nerve Experimental Model in Regenerative Research

Sciatic nerve crush injury in rat animal model is one of the most common experimental models used in regenerative research. However, the availability of transgenic mouse for nerve regeneration studies is constantly increasing and, therefore, the shift from rat model to mouse model is, in some cases, necessary. Moreover, since most of the human nerve lesions occur in the upper limb, it is also advantageous to shift from sciatic nerve to median nerve. In this study we described an experimental model which involves lesions of the median nerve in the mouse. Data showed that the finger flexor muscle contraction strength, assessed to evaluate the motor function recovery, and reached values not different from the control already 20 days after injury. The degree of nerve regeneration evaluated with stereological methods in light microscopy showed that, 25 days after injury, the number of regenerated myelinated fibers was comparable to the control, but they were smaller with a thinner myelin thickness. Stereological analysis made in electron microscopy confirmed these results, although the total number of fibers quantified was significantly higher compared to light microscopy analysis, due to the very small size of some fibers that can be detected only in electron microscopy.

Characterization of a Vortex Shaking Method for Aerosolizing Fibers.

Generation of well-dispersed, well-characterized fibers is important in toxicology studies. A vortex-tube shaking method is investigated using glass fibers to characterize the generated aerosol. Controlling parameters that were studied included initial batch amounts of glass fibers, preparation of the powder (e.g., preshaking), humidity, and airflow rate. Total fiber number concentrations and aerodynamic size distributions were typically measured. The aerosol concentration is only stable for short times (t < 10 min) and then falls precipitously, with concomitant changes in the aerosol aerodynamic size distribution; the plateau concentration and its duration both increase with batch size. Preshaking enhances the initial aerosol concentration and enables the aerosolization of longer fibers. Higher humidity strongly affects the particle size distribution and the number concentration, resulting in a smaller modal diameter and a higher number concentration. Running the vortex shaker at higher flow rates (Q > 0.3 lpm), yields an aerosol with a particle size distribution representative of the batch powder; running the vortex shaker at a lower aerosol flow rate (Q ~ 0.1 lpm) only aerosolizes the shorter fibers. These results have implications for the use of the vortex shaker as a standard aerosol generator.

Anatomical feasibility of transferring the obturator and genitofemoral nerves to repair lumbosacral plexus nerve root avulsion injuries

Nerve transfer is a valid surgical procedure for restoring lower-extremity function after lumbosacral plexus nerve root avulsion. We determined the anatomical feasibility of transferring the obturator and genitofemoral nerves for this purpose. The obturator, genitofemoral and femoral nerves, and the S1 and S2 nerve roots on both sides were exposed in 10 cadaver specimens. We traced all nerves to their origins. The lengths of the obturator and genitofemoral nerves were measured from their origins to their exits from the abdominal cavity. The transverse and longitudinal diameters of all nerves were measured. Specimens were obtained to determine the total number of myelinated fibers in each nerve. The proximal part of the left obturator nerve was anastomosed with the distal part of the right femoral nerve, between the vertebrae and the peritoneum, with an overlap of 2-3 cm. Similarly, the proximal parts of the right obturator and genitofemoral nerves were anastomosed with the ipsilateral S1 and S2 nerve roots, respectively, with an overlap of 2-4 cm. The obturator nerve contained approximately one-third of the number of fibers (4,300-7,800) presenting in the femoral nerve (13,500-21,000). Similarly, the number of fibers found in the S1 nerve root was in the range 5,200-8,900. The genitofemoral nerve contained approximately half the number of fibers (3,000-4,500) presenting in the S2 nerve root (4,600-8,400). The obturator and genitofemoral nerves could be suitable donor nerves for repairing lumbosacral plexus nerve root avulsion.

Predicted high-performing piglets exhibit more and larger skeletal muscle fibers1

Postnatal (muscle) growth potential in pigs depends on the total number and hypertrophy of myofibers in skeletal muscle tissue. In a previous study an algorithm was developed to predict piglet BW at the end of the nursery period (10 wk of age) on the basis of BW at birth, at weaning, and at 6 wk of age. The objective of this study was to determine whether the differences in growth performance between poor (PP) and high (HP) performing piglets could be the result of different skeletal muscle properties. Therefore, from a total of 368 piglets (offspring from Hypor sows bred to TOPIGS sires) 2 groups with a divergent growth performance were selected at 6 wk of age: HP (n = 20, predicted BW at 10 wk of age 26.8-30.9 kg) and PP (n = 20, predicted BW at 10 wk of age 16.0-22.9 kg). Piglets were euthanized at 10 wk of age, and samples of the semitendinosus muscle (STN) were collected for histochemistry and gene expression analysis using quantitative PCR (qPCR). At 10 wk of age, realized BW did not differ from predicted BW in either group (P > 0.880). The HP piglets exhibited greater ADG and ADFI from 6 to 10 wk and greater BW at birth and 6 and 10 wk of age (P ≤ 0.002) compared with the PP piglets, whereas G:F ratio was similar (P = 0.417). Superior growth performance of HP piglets was associated with a 1.27-fold higher IGF1 plasma concentration at 10 wk compared with the PP piglets (P = 0.044). The greater weight and muscle cross-sectional area of STN in HP piglets was due to a 1.20-fold increase in total muscle fiber number (TFN; P = 0.009) and 1.34-fold increase in fiber cross-sectional area (FCSA; P = 0.004) compared with the PP piglets. The number of myonuclei per red and intermediate fiber was greater in HP piglets (P ≤ 0.097), but the nucleus-to-cytoplasm ratio was unaffected by the performance group (P = 0.861). The mRNA expression of proliferating cell nuclear antigen (PCNA), paired box 7 (PAX7), myogenic factor 5 (MYF5), and myogenic differentiation factor (MYOD) did not differ between groups (P ≥ 0.327). However, IGF2-specific mRNA expression was numerically higher in the HP piglets (P = 0.101). The greater myofiber number, the higher degree of myofiber hypertrophy, and the increased muscular mRNA expression of IGF2 indicate that HP piglets exhibit a greater capacity for lean accretion and may grow faster until market weight. In summary, pigs that were selected for predicted high BW at 10 wk of age using a complex selection model had a superior muscularity in terms of greater TFN and FCSA, which may be of advantage for lean mass accretion in later life and for meat quality.

Comparison of different skeletal muscles from growing domestic pigs and wild boars

Abstract. The domestication process of pigs was associated with substantial morphological and physiological changes. The aim of this study was to comparatively investigate muscle microstructure and biochemical properties of four different skeletal muscles (M. longissimus, M. semitendinosus, M. psoas major, M. rhomboideus) in growing domestic pigs (n=5) and wild boars (n=4). The superiority of domestic pigs in body and muscle growth at three months of age was reflected by a 4-fold body weight and higher absolute weights of heart, liver and muscles. Relative muscle weights of M. psoas major and M. rhomboideus were reduced, whereas a 1.6-fold heavier M. semitendinosus was observed in domestic pigs compared with wild boars. In addition, the muscle cross-sectional area was greater in all muscles of domestic pigs resulting from about 3-fold fibre cross-sectional area, whereas total fibre number remained unchanged. As a consequence of intensified fibre hypertrophy, the fibre area per capillary is higher in all muscles of domestic pigs. Thus, the impaired supply with oxygen and nutrients may be one reason for the shift to the glycolytic muscle metabolism as indicated by a greater proportion of fast-twitch glycolytic fibres at the expense of fast-twitch oxidative fibres. This is also reflected by a higher ratio of lactate dehydrogenase to isocitrate dehydrogenase activity. Our data suggest that the intensified muscle growth was realized by myofibre hypertrophy at unchanged myofibre number in growing domestic pigs. It seems that domestication-induced changes were most pronounced in M. semitendinosus as the exterior ham muscle which may be related to muscle specific selection for lean growth.

The effects of MyD88 deficiency on disease phenotype in dysferlin-deficient A/J mice: role of endogenous TLR ligands

An absence of dysferlin leads to activation of innate immune receptors such as Toll-like receptors (TLRs) and skeletal muscle inflammation. Myeloid differentiation primary response gene 88 (MyD88) is a key mediator of TLR-dependent innate immune signalling. We hypothesized that endogenous TLR ligands released from the leaking dysferlin-deficient muscle fibres engage TLRs on muscle and immune cells and contribute to disease progression. To test this hypothesis, we generated and characterized dysferlin and MyD88 double-deficient mice. Double-deficient mice exhibited improved body weight, grip strength, and maximum muscle contractile force at 6-8 months of age when compared to MyD88-sufficient, dysferlin-deficient A/J mice. Double-deficient mice also showed a decrease in total fibre number, which contributed to the observed increase in the number of central nuclei/fibres. These results indicate that there was less regeneration in the double-deficient mice. We next tested the hypothesis that endogenous ligands, such as single-stranded ribonucleic acids (ssRNAs), released from damaged muscle cells bind to TLR-7/8 and perpetuate the disease progression. We found that injection of ssRNA into the skeletal muscle of pre-symptomatic mice (2 months old) resulted in a significant increase in degenerative fibres, inflammation, and regenerating fibres in A/J mice. In contrast, characteristic histological features were significantly decreased in double-deficient mice. These data point to a clear role for the TLR pathway in the pathogenesis of dysferlin deficiency and suggest that TLR-7/8 antagonists may have therapeutic value in this disease.

Ultrasound-guided biopsy of thecricoarytenoideus lateralismuscle: Technique and safety in horses

Current diagnosis of recurrent laryngeal neuropathy (RLN) depends upon disease recognition in the clinically affected horse. Biopsy of the intrinsic laryngeal muscles may provide a method to identify the changes in fibre-type composition that occur in RLN before clinical signs become apparent. To develop an ultrasound-guided biopsy technique of the left cricoarytenoideus lateralis muscle (CALM) and evaluate its efficacy and safety in vivo. A longitudinal descriptive study. Six standing horses underwent ultrasound-guided biopsy of the left CALM. Frozen muscle cores were obtained with a breast biopsy tool. Serial endoscopic, ultrasonographic and physical examinations before and for 8 weeks after the biopsy were assessed for iatrogenic trauma. Histologies of representative muscle core cross-sections were analysed for the total number of muscle fibres obtained with each biopsy. There were no immediate complications of the procedure and the left CALM was harvested in all instances. Biopsy samples had an average weight of 0.043 g (range = 0.023-0.077 g) and contained 3418 fibres in cross-section (range = 711-7143). Laryngeal endoscopic grade did not change significantly between prebiopsy and the end of the 8 week follow-up. The left CALM had significantly greater echogenicity than the right throughout the study (P<0.001), but there was no difference between the prebiopsy CALM echogenicity and that at completion of the study. Ultrasound-guided biopsy of the left CALM is safe and well tolerated, providing a minimally invasive method to obtain muscle from healthy horses. This new technique may be applicable in research and clinical settings.

P.8.8 Basement membrane deposition during muscle development in the FKRP Deficient Mouse

The defective glycosylation of <i>α</i>-dystroglycan is associated with a group of muscular dystrophies collectively referred to as the dystroglycanopathies. We previously generated a FKRP deficient mouse (FKRPKD) which recapitulates the severe end of the clinical spectrum and displays a muscle/eye/brain phenotype and dies soon after birth. In view of the well documented role of <i>α</i>-dystroglycan in basement membrane deposition we sought to determine if secondary myogenesis was altered in the FKRPKD mice. Here we show that the laminin binding epitope of <i>α</i>-dystroglycan is present from the earliest stages of secondary myotube formation at E15.5 in wild type mice. FKRPKD mice show a mild reduction in laminin <i>α</i>-2 at this time point. However, this reduction is not apparent using an antibody to pan laminin (identifies several laminin chains). However, at P0, a marked reduction of laminin <i>α</i>2 was noted in FKRPKD compared to wild type, together with a moderate reduction in the pan laminin, suggesting that the initial reduction in <i>α</i>2 subsequently alters the deposition of other laminin chains. In order to further examine this we have now examined the deposition of other laminin chains (<i>α</i>1, <i>α</i>4, <i>α</i>1, and ϒ1). There was no alteration in laminin <i>α</i>1, <i>α</i>4 and ϒ1 expression between wild type and mutant at either E15.5 or P0. Laminin <i>α</i>1 however, showed a subtle reduction in FKRPKD compared to wild type at E15.5 which became more apparent at P0. To determine the effect of these alterations on fibre formation we counted muscle fibres at E15.5 and P0 and showed that neither the number of primary myotubes (as indicated by slow myosin heavy chain expression) nor the total number of fibres at P0 was significantly different between FKRPKD and wild type mice. These observations suggest that alterations in basement membrane deposition during myogenesis do influence myoblast alignment and fusion.

Impaired nerve fiber regeneration in axotomized peripheral nerves in streptozotocin-diabetic rats.

Impaired nerve fiber regeneration is a salient feature of diabetic neuropathy. Its pathogenesis is still unclear. We attempted to characterize the structure of regenerated myelinated fibers after transection in streptozotocin-diabetic rats. Streptozotocin-diabetic rats underwent transection of the sciatic nerve. Two and 4weeks post-axotomy, regenerated myelinated fibers of the cut end and fibers at its proximal site were morphometrically examined. Non-diabetic control rats with axotomy were also examined for comparison. At 4weeks post-axotomy, diabetic rats showed an increased myelinated fiber density and total fiber number with a trend toward reduced fiber size at the cut end compared with those in control rats. The average number of myelin lamellae relative to axonal size in regenerated fibers at the cut end was significantly reduced in diabetic rats compared with that in control rats. The proximal site showed a reduced size of fibers and axons in both diabetic and control rats to a similar extent compared with those in a non-axotomized state. At 2weeks post-axotomy, these findings were less apparent. The nerves of diabetic rats when axotomized undergo impaired regeneration characterized by increased fiber density with hypomyelination.

The effects of gradients of nerve growth factor immobilized PCLA scaffolds on neurite outgrowth in vitro and peripheral nerve regeneration in rats

Introducing concentration gradients of nerve growth factor (NGF) into conduits for repairing of peripheral nerve injury is crucial for nerve regeneration and guidance. Herein, combining differential adsorption of NGF/silk fibroin (SF) coating, the gradient of NGF-immobilized membranes (G-Ms) and nanofibrous nerve conduits (G-nNCs) were successfully fabricated. The efficacy of NGF gradients was confirmed by a quantitative comparison of dorsal root ganglia (DRG) neurite outgrowth on the G-Ms or uniform NGF-immobilized membranes (U-Ms). Significantly, the neurite turning ratio was 0.48 ± 0.11 for G-M group, but it was close to zero for U-M group. The neurite length of DRGs in the middle of the G-Ms was significantly longer than that of U-M group, even though the average NGF concentration was approximated. Furthermore, 12 weeks after implantation in rats with a 14 mm gap of sciatic nerve injury, G-nNCs achieved satisfying outcomes of nerve regeneration associated with morphological and functional improvements, which was superior to that of the uniform NGF-immobilized nNCs (U-nNCs). Sciatic function index (SFI), compound muscle action potentials (CMAPs), total number of myelinated nerve fibers, thickness of myelin sheath were similar for the G-nNCs and autografts, with the G-nNCs having a higher density of axons than the autografts. Our results demonstrated the significant role of introducing NGF gradients into scaffolds in promoting nerve regeneration.

Effects of Age and Exercise on Fiber Type and Total Fiber Number in Skeletal Muscle

There have been varied reports of the effects of age and exercise on fiber type composition in skeletal muscle. To elucidate these discrepancies, we conducted a one year endurance exercise study in male FBN rats, starting with rats age 24 mo and continuing daily until age 36 mo. Rats were divided into 3 groups; high intensity (H), and moderate intensity (M) treadmill exercise, and sedentary (S). M and H animals trained at 13 m/min for 30 min/day, with the H group at 5% incline. At the end of the training protocol the plantaris muscle was removed, frozen and sectioned. Fiber type was determined by IHC using an anti‐type I MHC antibody (BA‐D5s). Total fiber number and number of type I v. type II fibers were determined from high resolution images of muscle cross sections. Total plantaris fiber number declined with age (decrease of 34% in 36 mo compared to 24 mo) but fiber number was not significantly different between the 36 mo exercise groups and the sedentary animals. The proportion of fibers that were type I fibers was 15% in 24 mo, and then 18%, 20% and 18% in S, M, and H respectively. None of these percentages were significantly different from one another, indicating no shift in fiber type with either aging or exercise. These results indicate that total fiber number decreases with age, but this fiber loss may not be preferential to specific fiber types, and also suggest that exercise is unable to minimize fiber loss.Supported by: NIH AG030423

Ineficácia da laserterapia aplicada no trajeto do nervo e nas raízes medulares correspondentes

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the influence of low intensity laser irradiation on the regeneration of the fibular nerve of rats after crush injury. METHODS: Twenty-five rats were used, divided into three groups: 1) intact nerve, no treatment; 2) crushed nerve, no treatment; 3) crush injury, laser irradiation applied on the medullary region corresponding to the roots of the sciatic nerve and subsequently on the course of the damaged nerve. Laser irradiation was carried out for 14 consecutive days. RESULTS: Animals were evaluated by functional gait analysis with the peroneal functional index and by histomorphometric analysis using the total number of myelinated nerve fibers and their density, total number of Schwann cells, total number of blood vessels and the occupied area, minimum diameter of the fiber diameter and G-quotient. CONCLUSION: According to the statistical analysis there was no significant difference among groups and the authors conclude that low intensity laser irradiation has little or no influence on nerve regeneration and functional recovery. Laboratory investigation.

Growth, carcass, fiber type, and meat quality characteristics in Large White pigs with different live weights

The aim of this study was to compare the growth, carcass, histochemical, and meat quality characteristics in Large White pig groups that were categorized by live weight (Heavy and Light) and type I fiber percentage (High and Low), a procedure which resulted in four groups (Heavy-High, Heavy-Low, Light-High, and Light-Low). As expected, the Heavy group showed heavier live weight (114 vs. 94.7kg, P<0.001) and larger loin eye area (53.3 vs. 47.8cm2, P<0.001), as well as, higher total number (1,223,000 vs. 1,140,000, P<0.05) and greater mean value cross-sectional area (CSA; 4031 vs. 3798μm2P<0.05) of muscle fibers than the Light group. However, there were no significant differences in start and finish days among the groups (P>0.05). Heavier pigs harboring a higher percentage of type I fibers (HH) exhibited a similar mean CSA (3894 vs. 4101μm2) and total number (1,249,000 vs. 1,198,000) of muscle fibers, even though these pigs had a greater CSA of type I fibers (3181 vs. 2719μm2, P<0.05) and a smaller CSA of type IIB fibers (4048 vs. 4457μm2, P<0.05) compared to heavier pigs harboring a lower percentage of fiber type I (HL). Both the HL and Light-Low groups exhibited a rapid decline of muscle pH at the early postmortem period (5.90 and 5.85 vs. 6.08, P<0.05), paler surfaces (43.07 and 43.55 vs. 40.73,P<0.05), and higher degrees of fluid loss by exudation (6.26 and 6.39 vs. 4.22%, P<0.05) compared to the HH group due to their muscle fiber type composition. Thus, the HH pigs showed better meat quality characteristics without significant differences in growth and carcass performance compared to the HL pigs. Therefore, selection for increased live weight at the same age and muscle fiber characteristics, especially the increased type I fiber CSA and proportion, is one of the relevant indicators to improve and control meat quality without reducing the growth and carcass performance.

Reduced Fronto-Temporal and Limbic Connectivity in the 22q11.2 Deletion Syndrome: Vulnerability Markers for Developing Schizophrenia?

The 22q11.2 deletion syndrome (22q11DS) is a widely recognized genetic model allowing the study of neuroanatomical biomarkers that underlie the risk for developing schizophrenia. Recent advances in magnetic resonance image analyses enable the examination of structural connectivity integrity, scarcely used in the 22q11DS field. This framework potentially provides evidence for the disconnectivity hypothesis of schizophrenia in this high-risk population. In the present study, we quantify the whole brain white matter connections in 22q11DS using deterministic tractography. Diffusion Tensor Imaging was acquired in 30 affected patients and 30 age- and gender-matched healthy participants. The Human Connectome technique was applied to register white matter streamlines with cortical anatomy. The number of fibers (streamlines) was used as a measure of connectivity for comparison between groups at the global, lobar and regional level. All statistics were corrected for age and gender. Results showed a 10% reduction of the total number of fibers in patients compared to controls. After correcting for this global reduction, preserved connectivity was found within the right frontal and right parietal lobes. The relative increase in the number of fibers was located mainly in the right hemisphere. Conversely, an excessive reduction of connectivity was observed within and between limbic structures. Finally, a disproportionate reduction was shown at the level of fibers connecting the left fronto-temporal regions. We could therefore speculate that the observed disruption to fronto-temporal connectivity in individuals at risk of schizophrenia implies that fronto-temporal disconnectivity, frequently implicated in the pathogenesis of schizophrenia, could precede the onset of symptoms and, as such, constitutes a biomarker of the vulnerability to develop psychosis. On the contrary, connectivity alterations in the limbic lobe play a role in a wide range of psychiatric disorders and therefore seem to be less specific in defining schizophrenia.

An evaluation of the reliability of muscle fiber cross-sectional area and fiber number measurements in rat skeletal muscle

BackgroundThe reliability of estimating muscle fiber cross-sectional area (measure of muscle fiber size) and fiber number from only a subset of fibers in rat hindlimb muscle cross-sections has not been systematically evaluated. This study examined the variability in mean estimates of fiber cross-sectional area as a function of the number of fibers measured, and tested whether counting a subset of fibers in a cross-section could predict total fiber number in middle-aged rats.ResultsSoleus and extensor digitorum longus (EDL) muscle cross-sections from 23-month-old, male Fisher 344 x Brown Norway rats were stained for myofibrillar ATPase activity to identify muscle fiber type (either type I [slow-twitch] or II [fast-twitch]) and laminin to facilitate fiber cross-sectional measurements. We outlined the circumference of 1000 to 1600 single muscle fibers for measurement of fiber cross-sectional area within muscle sections. Mean type I fiber cross-sectional area was based on soleus muscle sections which were predominantly composed of type I muscle fibers. Mean type II fiber cross-sectional area was based on EDL muscle sections which were predominantly composed of type II muscle fibers. A bootstrapping resampling technique demonstrated that variability in sampling distribution of mean type I and II fiber cross-sectional areas decreased and gradually stabilized as the number of fibers measured increased with large declines in variability occurring at numbers below 150 fibers. Coefficients of variation for bootstrapped mean type I fiber cross-sectional areas were lower than for type II. In the same muscle sections, total fiber number was compared to fiber numbers within 1, 2, 3, and 4 fixed field areas (10x magnification; 1000 x 1500 pixels in size/field) on the cross-section. Fiber numbers from 3 to 4 fields (approximating 15 to 20% of the cross-section) provided a reasonably predictive value of total fiber number (r=0.57-0.59, P=0.003).ConclusionsThese data describe a pattern of improved precision in estimating mean fiber cross-sectional area as sample size of fibers measured increases to at least 150 in this rat model. Counting 15-20% of the fibers in cross-sections provides a reasonably reliable estimate of the total fiber number.

Sexual Dimorphism in the Human Vocal Fold Innervation

This study investigated the sexual dimorphism in the recurrent laryngeal nerve (RLN) and thyroarytenoid (TA) muscle, which control the vocal fold. The RLN and TA were bilaterally studied in human specimens obtained from necropsies (seven men and seven women). Analysis of the morphometric parameters showed that the RLN of the men were significantly larger, as shown by the intraperineural area (42.5%) (P=0.006), total number of fibers (38.0%) (P=0.0002), axonal area (34.3%) (P=0.0001), axonal diameter (19.0%) (P=0.0001), and the area of the nerve occupied by myelinated fibers (34.9%) (P=0.001). By contrast, in women, our results showed that the area of the RLN occupied by endoneurial connective tissue was larger (5.7%) (P=0.001). Estimation of the fiber area and shape coefficient showed that the histologic organization of TA is similar in men and women. These results may contribute toward enhancing our understanding about the voice neurobiology.

The influence of fiber size distribution of type IIB on carcass traits and meat quality in pigs

The effects of detailed characteristics such as the size and proportion of type IIB fibers in longissimus thoracis muscle on carcass traits and pork quality were investigated. A total of 96 pigs were classified into four groups by the proportion of different IIB fiber sizes. Group NS (high proportion of both small- and normal-sized IIB fibers) had a higher total number (136.4) and density (231.31) of type IIB fibers, backfat thickness (37.20mm) and intramuscular fat content (4.77%) than the other groups (P<0.05), whereas Group NS had the lowest values of cross-sectional area (3413.85μm2) and diameter (60.15μm) of type IIB fiber among the groups (P<0.05). Pig muscles with higher percentage of large IIB fibers exhibit tougher, lighter and more exudative meat than pig muscles with a higher proportion of small- or normal-sized IIB fibers. Therefore, an increase in the proportion of large IIB fibers causes poor quality of pork.

Polymorphisms in AKT3, FIGF, PRKAG3, and TGF-β genes are associated with myofiber characteristics in chickens

Muscle characteristics such as myofiber diameter, density, and total number are important traits in broiler breeding and production. In the present study, 19 SNP of 13 major genes, which are located in the vicinity of quantitative trait loci affecting breast muscle weight, including INS, IGF2, PIK3C2A, AKT3, PRKAB2, PRKAG3, VEGFA, RPS6KA2/3, FIGF, and TGF-β1/2/3, were chosen to be genotyped by high-throughput matrix-assisted laser desorption/ionization time-of-flight mass spectrometry in a broiler population. One hundred twenty birds were slaughtered at 6 wk of age. Body weight, breast muscle weight, myofiber diameter, density, and total number were determined for each bird. Six SNP with a very low minor allele frequency (<1%) were excluded for further analysis. The remaining 13 SNP were used for the association study with muscle characteristics. The results showed that SNP in TGF-β1/2/3 had significant effects on myofiber diameter. A SNP in PRKAG3 had a significant effect on myofiber density (P < 0.05). A C > G mutation in FIGF was strongly associated with total fiber number (P < 0.05). Additionally, birds with the GG genotype of the C > G mutation in AKT3 had significantly larger myofiber numbers (P < 0.05) than birds with the CC or GC genotype. The SNP identified in the present study might be used as potential markers in broiler breeding.