Skip to main content
NCBI home page
The Journal of Biophysical and Biochemical Cytology logoLink to The Journal of Biophysical and Biochemical Cytology
. 1958 Jan 25;4(1):47–54. doi: 10.1083/jcb.4.1.47

A Histochemical Study of Normal and Denervated Red and White Muscles of the Rat

Vivianne T Nachmias 1, Helen A Padykula 1
PMCID: PMC2224314  PMID: 13502427

Abstract

The distribution and characterization of the fibers of normal and denervated red and white muscles of the albino rat are reported in this study. Histochemical procedures for succinic dehydrogenase, lipides, adenosinetriphosphatase, esterase, and glycogen were utilized to differentiate muscle fibers, and these methods facilitated the study of the distribution of fiber types within whole muscle. Muscle fibers of the granular type (dark or red fibers) can be clearly distinguished from those with clearer sarcoplasm (light or white fibers) by methods for demonstrating succinic dehydrogenase, lipides, and esterase. The method for adenosine-triphosphatase reveals differences only under the special conditions described in the text. Additional fiber types are described in the cat's diaphragm and in the extrinsic ocular muscles of the rat. Succinic dehydrogenase and adenosinetriphosphatase activities of the soleus and biceps femoris were studied 14 days after denervation of these muscles. The histochemical findings are discussed principally in the light of current biochemical knowledge of these enzymes.

Full Text

The Full Text of this article is available as a PDF (1.0 MB).

Selected References

These references are in PubMed. This may not be the complete list of references from this article.

  1. BEAUFAY H., DE DUVE C., HOLT S. J., UNDERHAY E. Intracellular localization of esterase in rat liver. J Biophys Biochem Cytol. 1956 Sep 25;2(5):635–637. doi: 10.1083/jcb.2.5.635. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  2. BERNATH P., KEARNEY E. B., SINGER T. P. Studies on succinic dehydrogenase. II. Isolation and properties of the dehydrogenase from beef heart. J Biol Chem. 1956 Dec;223(2):599–613. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  3. CHAPPELL J. B., PERRY S. V. The respiratory and adenosinetriphosphatase activities of skeletal-muscle mitochondria. Biochem J. 1953 Nov;55(4):586–595. doi: 10.1042/bj0550586. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  4. COPENHAVER W. M., MOORE D. H., RUSKA H. Electron microscopic and histochemical observations of muscle degeneration after tourniquet. J Biophys Biochem Cytol. 1956 Nov 25;2(6):755–764. doi: 10.1083/jcb.2.6.755. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  5. DE SOUZA SANTOS P., EDWARDS G. A., RUSKA H., VALLEJO-FREIRE A. Comparative cytophysiology of striated muscle with special reference to the role of the endoplasmic reticulum. J Biophys Biochem Cytol. 1956 Jul 25;2(4 Suppl):143–156. doi: 10.1083/jcb.2.4.143. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  6. EDDS M. V., Jr Hypertrophy of nerve fibers to functionally overloaded muscles. J Comp Neurol. 1950 Oct;93(2):259–275. doi: 10.1002/cne.900930207. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  7. HUMOLLER F. L., GRISWOLD B., McINTYRE A. R., ALLISON J. Comparative chemical studies in skeletal muscle following neurotomy and tenotomy. Am J Physiol. 1950 Jun 1;161(3):406–412. doi: 10.1152/ajplegacy.1950.161.3.406. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  8. HUMOLLER F. L., GRISWOLD B., McINTYRE A. R. Effect of neurotomy on succinic dehydrogenase activity of muscle. Am J Physiol. 1951 Mar;164(3):742–747. doi: 10.1152/ajplegacy.1951.164.3.742. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  9. HUMOLLER F. L., HATCH D., MCINTYRE A. R. Cytochrome oxidase activity in muscle following neurotomy. Am J Physiol. 1952 Aug;170(2):371–374. doi: 10.1152/ajplegacy.1952.170.2.371. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  10. LAWRIE R. A. The activity of the cytochrome system in muscle and its relation to myoglobin. Biochem J. 1953 Sep;55(2):298–305. doi: 10.1042/bj0550298. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  11. NEUFELD H. A., SCOTT C. R., STOTZ E. Purification of heart muscle succinic dehydrogenase. J Biol Chem. 1954 Oct;210(2):869–876. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  12. PADYKULA H. A., HERMAN E. The specificity of the histochemical method for adenosine triphosphatase. J Histochem Cytochem. 1955 May;3(3):170–195. doi: 10.1177/3.3.170. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  13. PADYKULA H. A. The localization of succinic dehydrogenase in tissue sections of the rat. Am J Anat. 1952 Jul;91(1):107–145. doi: 10.1002/aja.1000910104. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  14. ROSA C. G., VELARDO J. T. Histochemical demonstration of succinic dehydrogenase activity in tissue sections by a modified technique. J Histochem Cytochem. 1954 Mar;2(2):110–114. doi: 10.1177/2.2.110. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  15. RUSSELL J. A., BLOOM W. L. Extractable and residual glycogen in tissues of the rat. Am J Physiol. 1955 Dec;183(3):345–355. doi: 10.1152/ajplegacy.1955.183.3.345. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  16. SHELTON E., SCHNEIDER W. C. On the usefulness of tetrazolium salts as histochemical indicators of dehydrogenase activity. Anat Rec. 1952 Jan;112(1):61–81. doi: 10.1002/ar.1091120105. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  17. SINGER T. P., KEARNEY E. B. Solubilization, assay, and purification of succinic dehydrogenase. Biochim Biophys Acta. 1954 Sep;15(1):151–153. doi: 10.1016/0006-3002(54)90113-4. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  18. TAKAHASHI K., IWASE S. On artifacts appearing in the histochemical fixation of glycogen. J Biophys Biochem Cytol. 1955 Sep 25;1(5):391–398. doi: 10.1083/jcb.1.5.391. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  19. WACHSTEIN M., MEISEL E. The distribution of histochemically demonstrable succinic dehydrogenase and of mitochondria in tongue and skeletal muscles. J Biophys Biochem Cytol. 1955 Nov 25;1(6):483–488. doi: 10.1083/jcb.1.6.483. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]

Articles from The Journal of Biophysical and Biochemical Cytology are provided here courtesy of The Rockefeller University Press

RESOURCES