Histochemical properties of locomotory muscles of European hares and cottontail rabbits

Schnurr, D. L.; Thomas, Vernon G.

doi:10.1139/z84-313

Cited by 5 publications

(9 citation statements)

References 21 publications

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“…In addition, types IIA and IIB myofibers are also recruited for these activities, as shown in cats (Smith et al, 1977;Walmsley et al, 1978;Dum and Kennedy, 1980;Burke, 1981). The relationship of myofiber type composition to locomotory behavior in Suncus is consistent with the concept that the variation in composition of myofiber types in analogous muscles in various animals is related to their locomotory patterns (Sickles and Pinkstaff, 1981;Schnurr and Thomas, 1984;Abu-Ghalyun et al, 1988).…”

Section: Diameters Of Myofiber Typessupporting

confidence: 71%

“…The biceps femoris and semimembranosus muscles of European hares, cottontail rabbits (Schnurr and Thomas, 1984), tree shrews, and lesser bushbabies (Sickles and Pinkstaff, 1981), which move quickly, have large percentages of type I1 (FOG and FG) myofibers, whereas those of slow loris as seen in slow-climbing quadrupeds have equal percentages of type I and type I1 myofibers. Chameleons move slowly and spend long periods of time standing motionless on their perches.…”

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confidence: 99%

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Composition of myofiber types in limb muscles of the house shrew (Suncus murinus): Lack of type I myofibers

Suzuki

1990

Anat. Rec.

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Postural muscles have many type I myofibers, which reacted strongly for acid-stable myosin ATPase and were unreactive for alkali-stable myosin ATPase (Ariano et al., J. Histochem. Cytochem., 21:51-55, 1973; Armstrong et al., Am. J. Anat., 163:87-98, 1982; Smith et al., J. Neurophysiol., 40:503-513, 1977). House shrews (Suncus murinus) keep abducting their limbs in locomotion and hardly lift their trunk off the ground. The limb muscles of Suncus were examined by histochemical methods to determine whether the locomotory and postural behavior is related to the proportion of type I myofibers. The observation of whole cross sections from the triceps surae, flexor digitorum superficialis, quadriceps femoris, and caudally situated muscles in the thigh showed that all myofibers of these muscles were unreactive for acid-stable myosin ATPase and strongly reactive for alkali-stable myosin ATPase: Those were classified as type II myofibers. Type II myofibers showed a weak (type IIB), moderate (type IIAB), or strong (type IIA) reaction for NADH tetrazolium reductase. Part of type IIA myofibers reacted weakly to moderately for menadione-linked glycerol-3-phosphate dehydrogenase (m-GPD), which predominated in the soleus muscle. Type IIAB, type IIB, and the remainder of type IIA myofibers reacted strongly for m-GPD. The limb muscles contained subtypes of type II myofibers but no type I myofibers. In Suncus murinus, type I myofibers specialized for a postural maintenance may not be required because all myofibers function exclusively for propulsion.

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Section: Diameters Of Myofiber Typessupporting

confidence: 71%

mentioning

confidence: 99%

Composition of myofiber types in limb muscles of the house shrew (Suncus murinus): Lack of type I myofibers

Suzuki

1990

Anat. Rec.

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“…Comparison with results obtained by Schnurr and Thomas (1984) shows that the number of SO fibres is larger in muscles of the mountain hare than in both the cottontail rabbit and the cape hare. The number of FOG fibres is also larger than in the cottontail rabbit, but smaller than in the cape hare.…”

Section: Properties Of Muscle Fibresmentioning

confidence: 48%

“…The cottontail, on the other hand, prefers dense, brushy land with interspersed clearings (Schnurr and Thomas 1984). The habitat of the mountain hare falls between these two extremes: though living mainly in forested areas, it is also common on treeless Lappish tundra.…”

Section: Properties Of Muscle Fibresmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Further, the mode of life of the animal correlates well with the fibre composition of its muscles (Goldspink 1977). Schnurr and Thomas (1984) showed that the histochemical characteristics of selected muscles from cape (European) hare (Lepus capensis) and eastern cottontail rabbit (Sylvilagus floridanus) nicely reflect the locomotory pattern of these species in their characteristic habitats. In this study, we also wished to see whether and how locomotion in the mountain hare is reflected in the histochemistry of its muscle fibres.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Adaptations to environment in the mountain hare (Lepus timidus): thermal physiology and histochemical properties of locomotory muscles

Pyörnilä¹,

Putaala²,

Hissa³

et al. 1992

Can. J. Zool.

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PYORNILA, A., PUTAALA, A., HISSA, R., and SULKAVA, S. 1992. Adaptations to environment in the mountain hare (Lepus timidus): thermal physiology and histochemical properties of locomotory muscles. Can. J. Zool. 70: 1325-1330. Oxygen consumption of mountain hares (Lepus timidus) subjected to different ambient temperatures was measured. The basal metabolic rate was 3.91 + 0.05 W . kg-' in winter and 4.75 + 0.06 W kg-' in summer. These values are 162 and 186% of the weight specific values, respectively. Minimum thermal conductances (winter, 0.076 f 0.017 W . kg-. "C-'; summer, 0.141 k 0.018 W kg-' . "C-I) were 74 and 134% of the values predicted from body weight, respectively. It appears that adaptation of the mountain hare to winter is largely based on insulation. The fibre type composition of a flexor and an extensor muscle in the hindlimb was studied from sections stained for succinate dehydrogenase and myosin adenosine triphosphatase. More than 60% of the cells were fast-twitch oxidative glycolytic fibres, and 30-40% were fast-twitch glycolytic fibres. The greatest difference between the muscles was in the relative number of the slow-twitch oxidative fibres, with the flexor containing 13.7 and the extensor 2.9% of this fibre type. The histochemical properties of the muscles studied are consistent with the locomotory pattern of the mountain hare, which is characterized by darting or sprinting movements, and endurance in flight run. PYORNILA, A., PUTAALA, A., HISSA, R., et SULKAVA, S. 1992. Adaptations to environment in the mountain hare (Lepus timidus): thermal physiology and histochemical properties of locomotory muscles. Can. J. Zool. 70 : 1325 -1330. La consommation d'oxygkne a CtC mesurCe chez des Likvres variables (Lepus timidus) soumis A diffkrentes tempkratures ambiantes. Le taux de mktabolisme de base a CtC CvaluC A 3,91 f 0,05 W . kg-' en hiver, et A 4,75 f 0,06 W kg-' en CtC. Ces valeurs reprksentent respectivement 162 et 186% des valeurs spkcifiques A la masse. Les conductances thermiques minimales (hiver, 0,076 f 0,017 W -kg-' -"C-'; CtC, 0,141 f 0,018 W kg-' . "C-') reprksentent respectivement 74 et134% des valeurs thCoriques dCterminCes en fonction de la masse du corps. I1 semble que l'adaptation de ce likvre au cours de l'hiver soit en grande partie attribuable B ses propriCtCs isolantes. La composition typique d'une fibre du muscle flexeur et d'une fibre du muscle extenseur de la patte arrikre a CtC CtudiCe par examen de coupes prCparCes pour mettre en Cvidence la succinate dCshydrogCnase et la myosine adCnosine triphosphatase. Plus de 60% des cellules sont des fibres glycolitiques oxydantes A contraction rapide et 30-40%, des fibres glycolytiques A contraction rapide. La principale diffkrence entre les deux muscles est le nombre relatif des fibres oxydantes A contraction lente; le flexeur contient 13,7% de fibres de ce type et l'extenseur n'en contient que 2,9%. Les propriCtCs histochimiques des muscles rCvClCes par cette Ctude conviennent bien au systkme de locomotion qu'utilise le Likvre variabl...

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Lung morphology of cursorial and non-cursorial mammals: Lagomorphs as a case study for a pneumatic stabilization hypothesis

Simons

1996

J. Morphol.

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Gross lung morphology is examined in representative species from four genera within the order Lagomorpha (Lepus californicus, Sylvilagus nuttali, Oryctolagus cuniculus, Ochotona princeps), and compared with a representative rodent out‐group (Spermophilus richardonsii). Examination of pulmonary morphology reveals several correlations between the thoracic morphology and locomotor behavior. Lepus, the most cursorial species, exhibits a distinct suite of characteristics: 1) tissue of the right cranial lobe interposed between the heart and sternum; 2) well‐defined grooves in the lung tissue for both the aorta and ribs; 3) a fibrous pericardial attachment to the sternum; 4) relatively large heart and lung mass. Sylvilagus, a sprinter, exhibits these features to a lesser degree, whereas Oryctolagus and Ochotona, non‐cursorial species, lack most of these features. This same suite of pulmonary features is also observed in a wide range of unrelated cursorial taxa (including selected Artiodactlya, Perissodactyla, Carnivora). Corrosion casts of the internal airways demonstrate that the cursorial and non‐cursorial taxa examined here have similar branching patterns despite their variable external morphologies. The juxtaposition of pulmonary lobes, heart, and ribs leads to the hypothesis that the lungs themselves provide mechanical support of the heart and visceral mass during locomotion. Analyses of cineradiographic and pneumotachographic data obtained from Oryctolagus tend to support a pneumatic stabilization hypothesis: the lungs themselves, intimately associated with the chest walls and positively pressurized during landing, may provide some mechanical support to the viscera. This mechanism may be important in stabilizing the relatively large hearts of the most cursorial species during running. © 1996 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.

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Histochemical properties of locomotory muscles of European hares and cottontail rabbits

Cited by 5 publications

References 21 publications

Composition of myofiber types in limb muscles of the house shrew (Suncus murinus): Lack of type I myofibers

Composition of myofiber types in limb muscles of the house shrew (Suncus murinus): Lack of type I myofibers

Adaptations to environment in the mountain hare (Lepus timidus): thermal physiology and histochemical properties of locomotory muscles

Lung morphology of cursorial and non-cursorial mammals: Lagomorphs as a case study for a pneumatic stabilization hypothesis

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