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Updated: Aug 16, 2026
Procedures for Rat in situ Skeletal Muscle Contractile Properties
Published on: October 15, 2011
A comparison of simultaneously recorded muscle and skin vasoconstrictor population activities in the rat using
Chunhua Huang1, Michael P Gilbey
1Department of Physiology, University College London, Royal Free Campus, Rowland Hill Street, London NW3 2PF, United Kingdom.
Abstract:
In anaesthetized rats, an apparently autonomous sympathetic rhythm (T-rhythm, frequency range 0.4-1.2 Hz), has been observed in nerve activity controlling thermoregulatory circulations but not renal nerves. To further explore the differential control of sympathetic activity here, we investigate whether the so-called T-rhythm is a feature of muscle vasoconstrictor (MVC) population activity. Population activity was studied in vagotomised anaesthetised rats (alpha-chloralose or urethane maintenance, after barbiturate or halothane induction, respectively). Some rats were additionally sino-aortic denervated (SAD) and/or given a pneumothorax and neuromuscular blocked. Animals were held in central (hypocapnic) apnoea (ventilated at 2 Hz, tidal volume
