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.

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