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How does tissue preparation affect skeletal muscle transverse isotropy?

ABSTRACT: The passive tensile properties of skeletal muscle play a key role in its physiological function. Previous research has identified conflicting reports of muscle transverse isotropy, with some data suggesting the longitudinal direction is stiffest, while others show the transverse direction is stiffest. Accurate constitutive models of skeletal muscle must be employed to provide correct recommendations for and observations of clinical methods. The goal of this work was to identify transversely isotropic tensile muscle properties as a function of post mortem handling. Six pairs of tibialis anterior muscles were harvested from Giant Flemish rabbits and split into two groups: fresh testing (within four hours post mortem), and non-fresh testing (subject to delayed testing and a freeze/thaw cycle). Longitudinal and transverse samples were removed from each muscle and tested to identify tensile modulus and relaxation behavior. Longitudinal non-fresh samples exhibited a higher initial modulus value and faster relaxation than longitudinal fresh, transverse fresh, and transverse rigor samples (p<0.05), while longitudinal fresh samples were less stiff at lower strain levels than longitudinal non-fresh, transverse fresh, and transverse non-fresh samples (p<0.05), but exhibited more nonlinear behavior. While fresh skeletal muscle exhibits a higher transverse modulus than longitudinal modulus, discrepancies in previously published data may be the result of a number of differences in experimental protocol. Constitutive modeling of fresh muscle should reflect these data by identifying the material as truly transversely isotropic and not as an isotropic matrix reinforced with fibers.

SUBMITTER: Wheatley BB

PROVIDER: S-EPMC5056130 | biostudies-literature | 2016 Sep

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature

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How does tissue preparation affect skeletal muscle transverse isotropy?

Wheatley Benjamin B BB Odegard Gregory M GM Kaufman Kenton R KR Donahue Tammy L Haut TLH

Journal of biomechanics 20160701 13

The passive tensile properties of skeletal muscle play a key role in its physiological function. Previous research has identified conflicting reports of muscle transverse isotropy, with some data suggesting the longitudinal direction is stiffest, while others show the transverse direction is stiffest. Accurate constitutive models of skeletal muscle must be employed to provide correct recommendations for and observations of clinical methods. The goal of this work was to identify transversely isot ...[more]

PMID: 27425557

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Project description:BACKGROUND: Skeletal muscle fibres contain transverse tubular (t-tubule) networks that allow electrical signals to rapidly propagate into the fibre. These electrical signals are generated by the transport of ions across the t-tubule membranes and this can result in significant changes in ion concentrations within the t-tubules during muscle excitation. During periods of repeated high-frequency activation of skeletal muscle the t-tubule K+ concentration is believed to increase significantly and diffusive K+ transport from the t-tubules into the interstitial space provides a mechanism for alleviating muscle membrane depolarization. However, the tortuous nature of the highly branched space-filling t-tubule network impedes the diffusion of material through the network. The effective diffusion coefficient for ions in the t-tubules has been measured to be approximately five times lower than in free solution, which is significantly different from existing theoretical values of the effective diffusion coefficient that range from 2-3 times lower than in free solution. To resolve this discrepancy, in this paper we study the process of diffusion within electron microscope scanned sections of the skeletal muscle t-tubule network using mathematical modelling and computer simulation techniques. Our model includes t-tubule geometry, tautness, hydrodynamic and non-planar network factors. RESULTS: Using our model we found that the t-tubule network geometry reduced the K+ diffusion coefficient to 19-27% of its value in free solution, which is consistent with the experimentally observed value of 21% and is significantly smaller than existing theoretical values that range from 32-50%. We also found that diffusion in the t-tubules is anomalous for skeletal muscle fibres with a diameter of less than approximately 10-20 microm as a result of obstructed diffusion. We also observed that the [K+] within the interior of the t-tubule network during high-frequency activation is greater for fibres with a larger diameter. Smaller skeletal muscle fibres are therefore more resistant to membrane depolarization. Because the t-tubule network is anisotropic and inhomogeneous, we also found that the [K+] distribution generated within the network was irregular for fibres of small diameter. CONCLUSION: Our model explains the measured effective diffusion coefficient for ions in skeletal muscle t-tubules.

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How does tissue preparation affect skeletal muscle transverse isotropy?

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How does tissue preparation affect skeletal muscle transverse isotropy?

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