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Scanning electron microscopy of human prenatal muscle development
J P Barbet1, S Labbe, M Maillet
1Département d'Histologie et Embryologie, Faculté de Médecine Cochin-Port-Royal, Paris, France.
Bulletin De L'Association Des Anatomistes
|September 1, 1987
Summary
Human quadriceps development involves myoblast multiplication and fusion during the hyperplastic phase of myogenesis. Scanning electron microscopy reveals myotube formation and subsequent fiber maturation in fetal development.
Area of Science:
- Developmental Biology
- Muscle Biology
- Histology
Background:
- Understanding human quadriceps development is crucial for insights into muscle formation.
- Myogenesis, the process of muscle development, involves distinct hyperplastic and hypertrophic phases.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the developmental stages of the human quadriceps muscle using scanning electron microscopy.
- To illustrate the cellular events during myogenesis in fetal quadriceps development.
Main Methods:
- Scanning electron microscopy (SEM) was employed.
- A cohort of 30 human fetuses, aged 6 to 40 weeks gestation, were studied.
Main Results:
- SEM visualized the hyperplastic phase of myogenesis, including myoblast differentiation, proliferation, and fusion into myotubes.
- Myoblasts decreased in number by 19 weeks gestation, transitioning into quiescent satellite cells.
- Myotube maturation into myofibers showed no significant external morphological changes via SEM, while the hypertrophic phase was marked by fiber growth and connective tissue differentiation.
Conclusions:
- Scanning electron microscopy effectively visualizes the dynamic processes of human quadriceps development and myogenesis.
- The study delineates the transition from the hyperplastic to the hypertrophic phase of myogenesis in fetal quadriceps development.