X-Message-Number: 9911 Date: Thu, 18 Jun 1998 11:26:58 -0700 (PDT) From: Doug Skrecky <> Subject: preserving muscle fibers Authors Frontera WR. Larsson L. Institution Department of Clinical Neurophysiology, Karolinska Hospital, Stockholm, Sweden. Title Contractile studies of single human skeletal muscle fibers: a comparison of different muscles, permeabilization procedures, and storage techniques. Source Muscle & Nerve. 20(8):948-52, 1997 Aug. Abstract The study of single muscle fibers has improved our understanding of muscle physiology and pathology. To compare three techniques for fiber preparation and storage, biopsies were obtained from the tibialis anterior and vastus lateralis muscles of a hemiparetic patient and a control subject. Single fibers were prepared with: (1) chemical skinning (CS) and storage at -20 degrees C; (2) chemical skinning followed by sucrose (SU) incubation and storage at -80 degrees C; or (3) freeze-drying (FD) and -80 degrees C storage. Cross-sectional area (CSA), resting, maximal (P0), and specific tension (P0/CSA), and maximum shortening velocity (V0) were determined in 189 cells. CSA was similar in all groups. Resting tension was higher and P0 and P0/CSA lower after FD. In general, V0 was the same in all groups. Our data suggest that CS and SU preserve the properties of single muscle fibers better than FD. SU may allow longer storage of fibers. Rate This Message: http://www.cryonet.org/cgi-bin/rate.cgi?msg=9911