Figure 4.

The effects of epithelial ovarian cancer (EOC) on tibialis anterior and diaphragm force production, contractile properties and calcium handling gene expression. In situ tibialis anterior force production was assessed using the force-frequency relationship (A, n = 9–10; B, Representative twitches at 1 Hz and 100Hz). Rate of twitch contractions along with the half relaxation time were also assessed at 1Hz and 100Hz (C & D, n = 18–22). mRNA expression of ryanodine receptors (RyR1) and sarcoplasmic/endoplasmic reticulum ATPase (SERCA; SERCA1 used for tibialis anterior (fast twitch) and SERCA2 for diaphragm (slow twitch) was also measured (E, n = 8). This was repeated for the diaphragm (F-J, n = 8–22) Results represent mean ± SD. ∗p < 0.05 Control versus all time points; & p < 0.05 45 Days versus all time points; #p < 0.05 75 Days versus all time points; $ p < 0.05 90 Days versus all time points. Lettering denotes statistical significance at an alpha set at p < 0.05. A two-way ANOVA was used for figures A and J (main effects shown only) and all other data was analyzed using a one-way ANOVA or Kruskal–Wallis test when data did not fit normality. All ANOVAs were followed by a two-stage step-up method of Benjamini, Krieger and Yukutieli multiple comparisons test. C57BL/6J female mice ∼75 days post PBS injection as controls (CTRL); C57BL/6J female mice ∼45 days post ovarian cancer injection (45 Days); C57BL/6J female mice ∼75 days post ovarian cancer injection (75 Days); C57BL/6J female mice ∼90 days post ovarian cancer injection (90 Days).