Glycosylation pattern and enzyme activities in atrophic, angulated skeletal muscle fibres from ageing rats

Abstract

In this study enzyme activities and lectin binding patterns in skeletal muscle from very old rats were investigated in order to evaluate changes in enzyme activity or carbohydrate expression in senile muscle. Activities for adenosine triphosphatase (ATPase), succinic dehydrogenase, non-specific esterase and the binding pattern for 31 lectins were investigated in the soleus muscles from very old (36 months) and young (3 months) rats. In ageing muscles atrophic, angulated muscle fibres are frequent. In cryostat sections these fibres were mostly but not always type II defined by the myosin ATPase reaction; few showed a strong esterase activity. Some showed strong activity for succinic dehydrogenase while others were weakly reacting. A number of lectins strongly bound to the sarcoplasm in angulated fibres while the binding to normal fibres in both old and young rat muscle was much weaker or even absent. Preferential binding to the ageing, angulated fibres was seen with Aleuria aurentia, Galantus nivalis, Caragana abborecens, Triticum vulgaris, Maackia amurensis, Sambucus nigra, Phaseolus vulgaris erythroagglutinin, and Phaseolus coccineus. Samples of homogenized and centrifuged muscles were run by electrophoresis and the gels blotted to nitrocellulose paper. Subsequent lectin staining of the blots detected that two glycoproteins with molecular weights around 25,000 and 21,000 daltons were present in old muscle, but not in young. Aberrant or elevated expression of sarcoplasmic glycoconjugates is involved in ageing muscle atrophy.

Application of WGA lectin staining for visualization of the connective tissue in skeletal muscle, bone, and ligament/tendon studies

“…Kirkeby and colleagues (1997) investigated preferential accumulation of complex‐type oligosaccharides recognized by Datura stramonium agglutinin in type IIa muscle fibers. In another study, comparison of skeletal muscles from old and young rats showed preferential cytoplasmic binding of seven lectins to the angulated aging fibers (Kirkeby,1994). …”

Does Glutamine Supplementation Decrease the Response of Muscle Glutamine Synthesis to Fasting in Muscle in Adult and Very Old Rats?

“…10 By contrast, few data have been reported on the effects of advanced age. [11][12][13] Alterations in GS activity were demonstrated with advanced age (Ͼ22 months 14 ). GS activity was increased by a factor of 1.5-to 2-fold in 25-27-month rats and may be a consequence of aging-induced stress.…”

Modern Glycohistochemistry: A Major Contribution to Morphological Investigations

“…for anal vaccination (Pajak and Danguy, 1993). tion in the expression of sarcoplasmic glycoconjugates is also involved in atrophic skeletal myocytes from ageing rats (Kirkeby, 1994).…”