title: Electrically stimulated sartorius neosphincter: canine model of activation and skeletal muscle transformation.
abstract: The sartorius muscle was transposed into the abdominal cavity of six dogs, passed around a Thiry-Vella loop and sutured to itself to form a neosphincter. The muscle was activated by electrical stimulation and on contraction the neosphincter stopped or reduced the flow of saline through the Thiry-Vella loop in all animals until the onset of muscle fatigue. Continuous low frequency stimulation was used to transform the skeletal muscle, and when studied after a mean of 8 weeks of stimulation (range 6-11 weeks) the neosphincter stopped the flow for a significantly longer period of time (P = 0.027). Associated with the improved neosphincter function was a significant decrease in the fusion frequency (P = 0.003) and prolongation of the stimulus-peak tension time as assessed by a strain gauge sutured to the neosphincter muscle (P = 0.002). The changes in the contraction properties of the skeletal muscle suggest that continuous low frequency stimulation transformed the muscle fibres from type 2 to type 1, resulting in improved fatigue resistance and potential for continuous sphincter activity.
authors.affiliation: Department of Neurology, London Hospital, Whitechapel, UK.
authors.forename: R I
authors.initials: RI
authors.lastname: Hallan
authors.forename: N S
authors.initials: NS
authors.lastname: Williams
authors.forename: M R
authors.initials: MR
authors.lastname: Hutton
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Scott
authors.forename: M A
authors.initials: MA
authors.lastname: Pilot
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Swash
authors.forename: T H
authors.initials: TH
authors.lastname: Koeze
authors.forename: E S
authors.initials: ES
authors.lastname: Watkins
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D004285:Dogs; D004558:Electric Stimulation; D005260:Female; D006614:Hindlimb / Q000502:physiology; D007082:Ileum / Q000601:surgery; D008297:Male; D008954:Models, Biological; D009119:Muscle Contraction / Q000502:physiology*; D009132:Muscles / Q000166:cytology / Q000502:physiology* / Q000637:transplantation