Rapid Determination of Myosin Heavy Chain Expression in Rat, Mouse, and Human Skeletal Muscle Using Multicolor Immunofluorescence Analysis

Skeletal muscle is a heterogeneous tissue comprised of fibers with different morphological, functional, and metabolic properties. Different muscles contain varying proportions of fiber types; therefore, accurate identification is important. A number of histochemical methods are used to determine muscle fiber type; however, these techniques have several disadvantages. Immunofluorescence analysis is a sensitive method that allows for simultaneous evaluation of multiple MHC isoforms on a large number of fibers on a single cross-section, and offers a more precise means of identifying fiber types. In this investigation we characterized pure and hybrid fiber type distribution in 10 rat and 10 mouse skeletal muscles, as well as human vastus lateralis (VL) using multicolor immunofluorescence analysis. In addition, we determined fiber type-specific cross-sectional area (CSA), succinate dehydrogenase (SDH) activity, and α-glycerophosphate dehydrogenase (GPD) activity. Using this procedure we were able to easily identify pure and hybrid fiber populations in rat, mouse, and human muscle. Hybrid fibers were identified in all species and made up a significant portion of the total population in some rat and mouse muscles. For example, rat mixed gastrocnemius (MG) contained 12.2% hybrid fibers whereas mouse white tibialis anterior (WTA) contained 12.1% hybrid fibers. Collectively, we outline a simple and time-efficient method for determining MHC expression in skeletal muscle of multiple species. In addition, we provide a useful resource of the pure and hybrid fiber type distribution, fiber CSA, and relative fiber type-specific SDH and GPD activity in a number of rat and mouse muscles

Role of nonhuman primate models in the discovery and clinical development of selective progesterone receptor modulators (SPRMs)

Selective progesterone receptor modulators (SPRMs) represent a new class of progesterone receptor ligands that exert clinically relevant tissue-selective progesterone agonist, antagonist, partial, or mixed agonist/antagonist effects on various progesterone target tissues in an in vivo situation depending on the biological action studied. The SPRM asoprisnil is being studied in women with symptomatic uterine leiomyomata and endometriosis. Asoprisnil shows a high degree of uterine selectivity as compared to effects on ovulation or ovarian hormone secretion in humans. It induces amenorrhea and decreases leiomyoma volume in a dose-dependent manner in the presence of follicular phase estrogen concentrations. It also has endometrial antiproliferative effects. In pregnant animals, the myometrial, i.e. labor-inducing, effects of asoprisnil are blunted or absent. Studies in non-human primates played a key role during the preclinical development of selective progesterone receptor modulators. These studies provided the first evidence of uterus-selective effects of asoprisnil and structurally related compounds, and the rationale for clinical development of asoprisnil

Husbandry Of Monodelphis Domestica In The Study Of Mammalian Embryogenesis

Monodelphis domestica, commonly called the laboratory opossum, is a useful laboratory animal for studying marsupial embryogenesis and mammalian development. Females breed year-round and the animals can be sustainably bred indoors. The authors draw on their own laboratory\u27s experience to supplement previously published research on laboratory opossums. They describe a breeding protocol that reliably produces timed-pregnant M. domestica. Additionally, the authors discuss general laboratory opossum husbandry techniques and describe how to collect, handle and culture embryos

A hierarchy of determining factors controls motoneuron innervation

Quail leg buds were grafted in place of chick leg buds or chick wing buds and vice versa at stages 18 to 21 after colonization by muscle precursor cells had been completed. Motor endplate pattern in the plantaris muscle of the grafts was analyzed before hatching by means of esterase and acetylcholinesterase staining techniques. Muscle fibre types were made visual using the myosin ATPase reaction. Investigations are based on the species-specific endplate pattern of the plantaris muscle: multiply innervated fibres in the chick and focally innervated fibres in the quail. Muscle pieces isolated from the adjacent medial gastrocnemius muscle of the grafted legs were histologically examined to judge their species-specific composition. Horseradish peroxidase was injected into the plantaris muscles of both the grafted and the opposite leg as well as in the plantaris muscle of normal quail embryos, in order to be sure that the plantaris muscle of the graft is innervated by appropriate motoneurons. This procedural design offers for the first time a possibility to test experimentally the influences of motoneurons on endplate pattern formation under conditions corresponding to those in normal ontogenesis. It is shown that such appropriate motoneurons of one species which project to the plantaris muscle of the other species dictate the endplate pattern. When the plantaris muscle is innervated by inappropriate motoneurons, the endplate pattern inherent in the muscle primordium itself becomes realized. A sequence of hierarchically acting factors is proposed to bring different results in line. According to this, the neuronally set programme has priority compared with that set in the muscle. This is true for the normal development and might generate the high neuro-muscular specificity. If under experimental conditions the neuronal programme and the peripheral programme differ, the axons and muscle fibres selectively interact with respect to their inherent characteristics and the muscle-specific programme becomes expressed. If there is a lack of a certain axon type, muscle fibres might become innervated by non-corresponding motoneurons which alter the muscle fibre type.Peer Reviewedhttp://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/bitstream/2027.42/47522/1/429_2004_Article_BF00309770.pd