title: Distribution and morphometry of fiber types in cremaster muscles of boys with inguinal hernia or undescended testis.
abstract: In the present study, we determined and compared the distribution and mean diameters of fiber in the cremaster muscles (CM) of boys with either inguinal hernia (IH) or undescended testis (UT). Samples of CM were obtained from 20 patients (10 boys with IH, and 10 boys with UT) of similar age. The CM muscles of two boys each, without inguinal pathology, were sampled during autopsy. Sections were stained for oxidative and glycolytic enzymes, as well as for ATP-ase reactions after acid (pH: 4.6) and alkaline (pH: 10.6) preincubations. Specimens were also analyzed morphometrically using a KONTRON 400 computerized image analysis system. The Mann- Whitney U test was applied to compare the percentages of fiber types and mean diameters of fibers according to the types of the CM of boys with IH or UT. In boys, the CM is mainly composed of type 1 fibers. The CMs of patients with UT reveal alterations of neurogenic origin. Although both type 1 and type 2 fibers reveal alterations, type 2 fibers appear to be affected more profoundly and characterized by significantly decreased mean diameters. Significantly decreased mean diameters of type 2 fibers in CM may support disuse, lack of sensitivity to the hormonal influences, or an alteration in the corticospinal tracts of boys with UT.
authors.affiliation: Department of Pediatric Surgery, Hacettepe University, Faculty of Medicine, Ankara, Turkey. ctanyel@gen.hun.edu.tr
authors.forename: F C
authors.initials: FC
authors.lastname: Tanyel
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Erdem
authors.forename: H
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Altunay
authors.forename: L
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Ergün
authors.forename: Z
authors.initials: Z
authors.lastname: Ozcan
authors.forename: B
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Alabay
authors.forename: N
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Büyükpamukçu
authors.forename: E
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Tan
mesh_terms: D002648:Child; D003456:Cryptorchidism / Q000201:enzymology / Q000473:pathology*; D005993:Glycerolphosphate Dehydrogenase / Q000378:metabolism; D006552:Hernia, Inguinal / Q000201:enzymology / Q000473:pathology*; D006801:Humans; D007091:Image Processing, Computer-Assisted; D008297:Male; D018656:Muscle Fibers, Fast-Twitch / Q000201:enzymology / Q000473:pathology*; D018657:Muscle Fibers, Slow-Twitch / Q000201:enzymology / Q000473:pathology*; D018482:Muscle, Skeletal / Q000201:enzymology / Q000473:pathology*; D009133:Muscular Atrophy / Q000201:enzymology / Q000473:pathology; D013385:Succinate Dehydrogenase / Q000378:metabolism
chemical_list: D005993:Glycerolphosphate Dehydrogenase; D013385:Succinate Dehydrogenase