title: Three-dimensional morphometric mapping of rat muscle fibers.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Quantitative descriptions of fiber type organization in hind limb muscles are incomplete or rare.
  
  
  METHODS
  Fiber morphometrics for both rat tibialis anterior (TA) muscles were measured in 3 dimensions.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Slow oxidative fiber area and perimeter varied in all zones. Fast oxidative glycolytic fibers (FOG) were predominant in the mediolateral and posterior zones, and fast glycolytic fibers (FG) predominated in the anterior zone. The mean area of FOG and succinate dehydrogenase intermediate fibers was lowest in the anterior zone. Mean area of FG was highest in the proximal and distal parts of the muscle. The area and perimeter of fast fibers differed significantly between the right and left limbs in the medial zone. In the middle and lateral zones, they differed at the proximal and distal parts.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  This detailed analysis in a high resolution, 3-dimensional map provides an essential tool for understanding the structure and function of TA muscles.
authors.affiliation: Department of Physiology, Medical School, Aristotle University, Thessaloniki, 54124, Greece.
authors.forename: Ioannis P
authors.initials: IP
authors.lastname: Kalpidis
authors.forename: Dorothea
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Kapoukranidou
authors.forename: Nicolas
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Charalambakis
authors.forename: Athanasios
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Chatzisotiriou
authors.forename: Maria
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Albani
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D003936:Diagnosis, Computer-Assisted; D006019:Glycolysis / Q000502:physiology; D008297:Male; D008954:Models, Biological; D018485:Muscle Fibers, Skeletal / Q000145:classification / Q000378:metabolism; D018482:Muscle, Skeletal / Q000033:anatomy & histology*; D051381:Rats; D017208:Rats, Wistar; D013385:Succinate Dehydrogenase / Q000378:metabolism
chemical_list: D013385:Succinate Dehydrogenase
keywords: 3D-mapping; development; fiber types; morphometry; rat tibialis anterior