Related Experiment Video
Updated: Oct 9, 2026

A Rapid Automated Protocol for Muscle Fiber Population Analysis in Rat Muscle Cross Sections Using Myosin Heavy Chain Immunohistochemistry
Published on: March 28, 2017
Skeletal muscle fiber types and myosin ATPase activity do not change with age or growth hormone administration
1Biology Department, Syracuse University, New York.
Abstract:
Fischer 344 rats at various ages throughout the life span have been treated with growth hormone, clonidine, and insulin-like growth factor-I to restore circulating somatomedin levels in old animals to levels found in younger rats. The injections were intended to reverse (2-week treatments) or prevent (6-month treatments) deleterious effects of aging on skeletal muscle--specifically the loss of fast fibers during the latter part of the life span. However, measurements of myosin ATPase (and subsequent histochemical fiber type determinations) revealed that the previously reported age-related decrease in ATPase activities and fast fiber content did not occur in barrier-protected specific pathogen free rats or mice. None of the treatments used had a significant effect on the ATPase activity or fiber composition of soleus, extensor digitorum longus, or diaphragm muscles, although parallel determinations in collaborating laboratories verified that the hormones had major effects in other systems. Previously reported decreases with age in ATPase activity of heart muscle were confirmed in our experiments, and these decreases were shown to reflect a change in myosin isozyme composition of the hearts, both at the protein and the mRNA levels of gene expression.
Related Concept Videos
Classification of Skeletal Muscle Fibers
Slow-Twitch Muscle Fibers
Slow oxidative, muscle fibers appear red due to large numbers of capillaries and high levels of...
Actin and Myosin in Muscle Contraction
Formation of Muscle Fibers from Myoblasts
Muscle progenitor cells (MPCs) are formed from the myotomes. MPCs express genes that encode the transcription factors Pax3 and Pax7. Along with Pax 3/7, other transcription factors...
Satellite Stem Cells and Muscular Dystrophy
Types of Skeletal Muscle Fibers
Fast-twitch fibers
Fast-twitch fibers, or Type II fibers, are designed for quick, powerful bursts of speed and strength. They reach peak tension within approximately 0.01 seconds following stimulation. Characterized by a large diameter and densely packed myofibrils, these fibers contain...
Exercise and Muscle Performance
Endurance exercises
Endurance exercises involve running, swimming, or cycling, which require repetitive movements with low force output. When a person engages in endurance exercise, a few noticeable changes occur in their skeletal muscles. For instance, the number of capillaries...

