title: Potassium and caffeine contractures of mouse muscles before and after fatiguing stimulation.
abstract: To assess the impairment of muscle membrane excitation, excitation-contraction (E-C) coupling, and contractility during muscle fatigue, we monitored the contracture responses of resting and fatigued muscles on exposure to high potassium and caffeine. On exposure to 140 mmol/L potassium, mouse extensor digitorum longus (EDL) developed a contracture which was 15.7% of tetanic tension before fatigue and 31.7% after fatigue, while soleus developed 59.4% contracture before and 68.8% after fatigue. Potassium causes contractures by depolarizing the muscle fiber membrane. Hence, membrane excitation is reduced in fatigued EDL and soleus. On exposure to 32 mmol/L caffeine, the contracture was 7.1% in resting EDL, 8.5% in fatigued EDL, 50.1% in resting soleus, and 43.7% in fatigued soleus. On exposure to 1 mmol/L caffeine followed by rapid cooling, the contracture was 3.0% in resting EDL, 3.2% in fatigued EDL, 21.5% in resting soleus, and 10.3% in fatigued soleus. Caffeine causes contracture by releasing Ca++ from the sarcoplasmic reticulum. Our results indicate reduced E-C coupling attributable to reduced membrane excitation in fatigued EDL, and reduced contractility in fatigued soleus.
authors.affiliation: Department of Medicine, Maimonides Medical Center, Brooklyn, NY 11219.
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Pagala
authors.forename: K
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Ravindran
authors.forename: B
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Amaladevi
authors.forename: T
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Namba
authors.forename: D
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Grob
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D002110:Caffeine / Q000494:pharmacology*; D004558:Electric Stimulation; D051379:Mice; D009119:Muscle Contraction / Q000187:drug effects*; D018763:Muscle Fatigue / Q000187:drug effects*; D011188:Potassium / Q000494:pharmacology*
chemical_list: D002110:Caffeine; D011188:Potassium