Muscle fiber composition and capillary density in women and men with NIDDM.
OBJECTIVE
To determine whether muscle fiber composition and capillary density differed between diabetic and nondiabetic subjects.


METHODS
Muscle fiber composition and capillary density were determined in biopsies from women and men with non-insulin-dependent diabetes mellitus (NIDDM) and compared with those of control subjects matched for gender, age, obesity, and the waist-to-hip ratio, which are all factors known to influence muscle morphology.


RESULTS
Patients with NIDDM, as well as control subjects with abdominal obesity and insulin resistance, showed the same abnormalities in muscle morphology, namely, a low percentage of type I fibers, elevated type II (particularly type IIB) fibers, and a low capillary density. These changes correlated closely with insulin concentrations in both diabetic and nondiabetic groups.


CONCLUSIONS
Recent information suggests that insulin may regulate myosin synthesis in muscle in the direction of the changes observed. Therefore, it is possible that muscle fiber composition abnormalities in insulin-resistant conditions are secondary to hyperinsulinemia. However, the low capillary density, hypothetically, may contribute to insulin resistance.
Mårin
P
P
Department of Medicine, Sahlgren's Hospital, University of Göteborg, Sweden.
Andersson
B
B
Krotkiewski
M
M
Björntorp
P
P
D001706:Biopsy; D001786:Blood Glucose / Q000378:metabolism; D015992:Body Mass Index; D002196:Capillaries / Q000473:pathology*; D003920:Diabetes Mellitus / Q000473:pathology / Q000503:physiopathology; D003924:Diabetes Mellitus, Type 2 / Q000473:pathology* / Q000503:physiopathology; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007328:Insulin / Q000097:blood; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009132:Muscles / Q000098:blood supply* / Q000166:cytology / Q000473:pathology*; D009765:Obesity; D012016:Reference Values; D012737:Sex Factors
D001786:Blood Glucose; D007328:Insulin