Twitch and tetanic tension during culture of mature Xenopus laevis single muscle fibres

Investigation of the mechanisms of muscle adaptation requires independent control of the regulating factors. The aim of the present study was to develop a serum-free medium to culture mature single muscle fibres of Xenopus laevis. As an example, we used the culture system to study adaptation of twitch and tetanic force characteristics, number of sarcomeres in series and fibre cross-section. Fibres dissected from m. iliofibularis (n = 10) were kept in culture at a fibre mean sarcomere length of 2.3 microm in a culture medium without serum. Twitch and tetanic tension were determined daily. Before and after culture the number of sarcomeres was determined by laser diffraction and fibre cross-sectional area (CSA) was determined by microscopy. For five fibres twitch tension increased during culture and tetanic tension was stable for periods varying from 8 to 14 days ('stable fibres'), after which fibres were removed from culture for analysis. Fibre CSA and the number of sarcomeres in series remained constant during culture. Five other fibres showed a substantial reduction in twitch and tetanic tension within the first five days of culture ('unstable fibres'). After 7-9 days of culture, three of these fibres died. For two of the unstable fibres, after the substantial force reduction, twitch and tetanic tension increased again. Finally at day 14 and 18 of culture, respectively, the tensions attained values higher than their original values. For stable fibres, twitch contraction time, twitch half-relaxation time and tetanus 10%-relaxation time increased during culture. For unstable fibres these parameters fluctuated. For all fibres the stimulus threshold fluctuated during the first two days, and then remained constant, even for the fibres that were cultured for at least two weeks. It is concluded that the present culture system for mature muscle fibres allows long-term studies within a well-defined medium. Unfortunately, initial tetanic and twitch force are poor predictors of the long-term behaviour of the fibres.     

Three-dimensional finite element modeling of skeletal muscle using a two-domain approach: linked fiber-matrix mesh model

In previous applications of the finite element method in modeling mechanical behavior of skeletal muscle, the passive and active properties of muscle tissue were lumped in one finite element. Although this approach yields increased understanding of effects of force transmission, it does not support an assessment of the interaction between the intracellular structures and extracellular matrix. In the present study, skeletal muscle is considered in two domains: (1) the intracellular domain and (2) extracellular matrix domain. The two domains are represented by two separate meshes that are linked elastically to account for the trans-sarcolemmal attachments of the muscle fibers' cytoskeleton and extracellular matrix. With this approach a finite element skeletal muscle model is developed, which allows force transmission between these domains with the possibility of investigating their interaction as well as the role of the trans-sarcolemmal systems. The model is applied to show the significance of myofascial force transmission by investigating possible mechanical consequences due to any missing link within the trans-sarcolemmal connections such as found in muscular dystrophies. This is realized by making the links between the two meshes highly compliant at selected intramuscular locations. The results indicate the role of extracellular matrix for a muscle in sustaining its physiological condition. It is shown that if there is an inadequate linking to the extracellular matrix, the myofibers become deformed beyond physiological limits due to the lacking of mechanical support and impairment of a pathway of force transmission by the extracellular matrix. This leads to calculation of a drop of muscle force and if the impairment is located more towards the center of the muscle model, its effects are more pronounced. These results indicate the significance of non-myotendinous force transmission pathways.     

Myofascial force transmission between a single muscle head and adjacent tissues: length effects of head III of rat EDL.

Force transmission from muscle fibers via the connective tissue network (i.e., myofascial force transmission) is an important determinant of muscle function. This study investigates the role of myofascial pathways for force transmission from multitendoned extensor digitorum longus (EDL) muscle within an intact anterior crural compartment. Effects of length changes exclusively of head III of rat EDL muscle (EDL III) on myofascial force transmission were assessed. EDL III was lengthened at the distal tendon. For different lengths of EDL III, isometric forces were measured at the distal tendon of EDL III, as well as at the proximal tendon of whole EDL and at the distal tendons of tibialis anterior and extensor hallucis longus (TA+EHL) muscles. Lengthening of EDL III caused high changes in force exerted at the distal tendon of EDL III (from 0 to 1.03 +/- 0.07 N). In contrast, only minor changes were found in force exerted at the proximal EDL tendon (from 2.37 +/- 0.09 to 2.53 +/- 0.10 N). Increasing the length of EDL III decreased TA+EHL force significantly (by 7%, i.e., from 5.62 +/- 0.27 to 5.22 +/- 0.32 N). These results show that force is transmitted between EDL III and adjacent tissues via myofascial pathways. Optimal force exerted at the distal tendon of EDL III (1.03 +/- 0.07 N) was more than twice the force expected on the basis of the physiological cross-sectional area of EDL III muscle fibers (0.42 N). Therefore, a substantial fraction of this force must originate from sources other than EDL III. It is concluded that myofascial pathways play an important role in force transmission from multitendoned muscles.     

非标记表面增强拉曼光谱在DNA检测中的应用

表面增强拉曼光谱(SERS)是一种超灵敏的生化分析技术,已经被广泛运用于细胞、核酸、蛋白质等生物分子的检测,在生物医学领域表现出了巨大的应用潜力。近年来,将表面增强拉曼光谱技术应用于遗传物质DNA的精准检测,引起了人们广泛的关注。本文简要叙述了表面增强拉曼光谱技术的基本原理及其在DNA检测中的优势,主要介绍了非标记的DNA-SERS检测应用进展,其中包括本项目组的相关工作。研究表明,非标记DNA-SERS技术有望成为一种快速、准确的临床诊断方式。     

A multipurpose muscle ergometer

A fast (0.1 mm steps within 2 ms), strong (40 N continuously) and accurate (resolution 0.002 N and 1.0 micron) muscle ergometer was developed to test dynamic and static properties of mammalian muscle. Both for twitches and for tetani isometric, isokinetic and isotonic contractions can be measured accurately. Force-velocity data and time to peak-force data of four EDL muscles, as well as force-extension data of their serial tendinous structures are shown to demonstrate the machine.     

Excessive reflexes in spinal cord injury triggered by electrical stimulation

Interaction of electrocutaneous stimulation with an impaired human motor control system may result in unstable reflex loops causing excessive spastic reactions. These contractions are usually excluded from analysis since the presence of spasm is one of the criteria commonly applied for discarding a contraction. They may, however, provide interesting information on the nature of spasticity. The dorsiflexor muscles of four SCI subjects were activated by means of surface electrical stimulation and the isometric ankle moment was measured. Short bursts of constant stimulation frequency at seven different frequencies (8, 12, 16, 20, 25, 33, 50 Hz) triggered spastic reactions in all subjects. The onset times of spastic activity during an electrically elicited contraction shortened with increased stimulation frequency. A stimulation burst may also have a spasticity reduction effect on a subsequent burst, indicating potential short term therapeutic effects of stimulation on spasticity in isometric conditions.     

类诺卡氏属放线菌的研究进展

Prauser H.最初于1976年从土壤中分离到17株诺卡氏形态放线菌,综合形态、生理生化特性和部分化学分类特征的研究结果,提议建立了一个新属——类诺卡氏属(Nocardioides),并以新种白色类诺卡氏菌(N.albus)为典型种。之后,随着分离、纯培养和分类方法的发展,越来越多的新成员从各种不同环境中分离得到。尽管这些菌来源广泛,形态和生理生化等特征各异,但他们拥有共同的属的特征。过去的50年中,随着放线菌研究的发展,该属中部分成员历经了分类地位的变迁和修订。到目前为止,该属共收纳了56个有效描述种。类诺卡氏属(Nocardioides)放线菌在农业、工业、化工业等方面也曾有应用研究报道。本文就类诺卡氏属放线菌的建立依据,属的特征,属内种的分布和变更以及它们在工农业上的应用研究前景及进展进行了综述。