title: Histochemical demonstration of skeletal muscle fibre types and capillaries on the same transverse section.
abstract: Serial transverse sections of m. vastus lateralis biopsies from six healthy men were reacted: (1) for myofibrillar adenosine triphosphatase (mATPase) to identify fibre types; or, (2) with alpha-amylase, periodic acid-Schiff (alpha PAS) to visualize capillaries. Sections were also processed with a new histochemical method for identification of fibre types and capillaries on the same skeletal muscle slice (mATPase/alpha PAS). Fibre type composition using either method was 41% type I, 37% type IIA and 22% type IIB. Types I, IIA and IIB least diameter areas (mean +/- SE, micron2) were similar in sections processed for mATPase/alpha PAS or mATPase (3976 +/- 338, 5187 +/- 373 and 4389 +/- 514 vs. 4092 +/- 345, 5100 +/- 360 and 4289 +/- 474, respectively). The number of capillaries per mm2 and per fibre did not differ in sections processed using the alpha PAS (315 +/- 29 and 1.48 +/- 0.12) or mATPase/alpha PAS (317 +/- 25 and 1.43 +/- 0.10) method. The number of capillaries was greater (P less than 0.05) around types I or IIA than type IIB fibres whether a section was processed for mATPase/alpha PAS (4.5 +/- 0.2 or 4.6 +/- 0.2 vs. 3.4 +/- 0.3) or when fibre profiles of serial sections reacted for mATPase or alpha PAS were 'matched' (4.5 +/- 0.2 or 4.4 +/- 0.2 vs. 3.4 +/- 0.3). The results indicate that histochemical and morphometric measures can be made on the same transverse section using the new method with substantial savings of time, cost and energy.
authors.affiliation: Bionetics Corporation, Biomedical and Environmental Laboratories, Kennedy Space Center, FL 32899.
authors.forename: B M
authors.initials: BM
authors.lastname: Hather
authors.forename: C E
authors.initials: CE
authors.lastname: Mason
authors.forename: G A
authors.initials: GA
authors.lastname: Dudley
mesh_terms: D000251:Adenosine Triphosphatases / Q000378:metabolism; D000328:Adult; D002196:Capillaries / Q000166:cytology* / Q000201:enzymology; D006651:Histocytochemistry / Q000379:methods; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D009132:Muscles / Q000098:blood supply / Q000166:cytology* / Q000201:enzymology; D010503:Periodic Acid-Schiff Reaction; D000516:alpha-Amylases / Q000378:metabolism
chemical_list: D000516:alpha-Amylases; D000251:Adenosine Triphosphatases