title: Histochemical changes in fast and slow muscles of nutritionally dystrophic rabbits.
abstract: Rabbits were rendered dystrophic by feeding them a diet deficient in vitamin E and their fast-twitch EDL and slow-twitch SOL muscles were examined histochemically. The soleus muscle of control rabbits consisted largely of type I fibres with occasional areas of scattered type II fibres. In the nutritionally dystrophic rabbits type II fibres were consistently found homogeneously distributed throughout the entire muscle and in increased proportion. A very similar pattern was observed in the solei of rabbits following sciatic nerve section. The normal EDL contained three fibre types (I, IIoxidative and IIglycolytic). Vitamin E deficiency appeared to be associated with a shift towards an increase in the proportion of IIglycolytic fibres at the expense of IIoxidative. In denervation as well as vitamin E deficiency the type I fibres of the EDL appeared to be spared. A small number of the E-deficient rabbits exhibited degenerative changes in their sciatic and sural nerves. When animals were both denervated and E-deprived the resulting muscle changes were very much more severe than in the case of either challenge in isolation. We suggest that although some of the signs of vitamin E deficiency resemble those of a neural defect there is, in addition, a direct myopathic effect.
mesh_terms: D000251:Adenosine Triphosphatases / Q000378:metabolism; D000818:Animals; D008058:Dihydrolipoamide Dehydrogenase / Q000378:metabolism; D009132:Muscles / Q000201:enzymology* / Q000473:pathology; D009137:Muscular Dystrophy, Animal / Q000201:enzymology* / Q000209:etiology / Q000473:pathology; D010525:Peripheral Nerves / Q000473:pathology; D011817:Rabbits; D014811:Vitamin E Deficiency / Q000150:complications*
chemical_list: D008058:Dihydrolipoamide Dehydrogenase; D000251:Adenosine Triphosphatases