Development of sex differences in the rabbit masseter muscle is not restricted to a critical period.
The proportions of muscle fibers of different phenotype in the adult rabbit masseter differ greatly in different sexes. These sex differences are not apparent in young adults, but arise under the influence of testosterone in the males. We examined whether this switch occurred during a critical period of postnatal development. Testosterone was administered to young adults 1, 2, or 4 mo after castration, and also to adult females. Samples of masseter muscle were taken at four monthly intervals after the onset of treatment and examined for the expression of different myosin heavy chain (MyHC) isoforms by using a panel of monoclonal antibodies. Despite the length of androgen deprivation, treatment with testosterone produced a marked MyHC isoform switch from alpha-slow/beta to IIa. This male proportion of fibers of different phenotypes persisted well beyond the return of serum testosterone levels to pretreatment levels. Thus brief exposure to testosterone produces a permanent change in the proportions of masseter muscle fibers of different phenotypes, and the capacity for this change is not restricted to a critical period.
English
Arthur W
AW
Department of Cell Biology, Emory University School of Medicine, Atlanta, Georgia 30322, USA. art@cellbio.emory.edu
Schwartz
Gail
G
D000818:Animals; D005260:Female; D008297:Male; D008406:Masseter Muscle / Q000033:anatomy & histology* / Q000187:drug effects / Q000254:growth & development* / Q000502:physiology; D018485:Muscle Fibers, Skeletal / Q000648:ultrastructure; D018995:Myosin Heavy Chains / Q000378:metabolism; D009919:Orchiectomy; D010641:Phenotype; D020033:Protein Isoforms / Q000378:metabolism; D011817:Rabbits; D012727:Sex Characteristics; D013739:Testosterone / Q000494:pharmacology
D020033:Protein Isoforms; D013739:Testosterone; D018995:Myosin Heavy Chains