title: Force measurement during contraction to assess muscle function in zebrafish larvae.
abstract: Zebrafish larvae provide models of muscle development, muscle disease and muscle-related chemical toxicity, but related studies often lack functional measures of muscle health. In this video article, we demonstrate a method to measure force generation during contraction of zebrafish larval trunk muscle. Force measurements are accomplished by placing an anesthetized larva into a chamber filled with a salt solution. The anterior end of the larva is tied to a force transducer and the posterior end of the larva is tied to a length controller. An isometric twitch contraction is elicited by electric field stimulation and the force response is recorded for analysis. Force generation during contraction provides a measure of overall muscle health and specifically provides a measure of muscle function. Although we describe this technique for use with wild-type larvae, this method can be used with genetically modified larvae or with larvae treated with drugs or toxicants, to characterize muscle disease models and evaluate treatments, or to study muscle development, injury, or chemical toxicity.
authors.affiliation: Department of Biomedical Engineering, University of Michigan, Michigan, USA.
authors.forename: Darcée D
authors.initials: DD
authors.lastname: Sloboda
authors.forename: Dennis R
authors.initials: DR
authors.lastname: Claflin
authors.forename: James J
authors.initials: JJ
authors.lastname: Dowling
authors.forename: Susan V
authors.initials: SV
authors.lastname: Brooks
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001696:Biomechanical Phenomena; D004195:Disease Models, Animal; D004558:Electric Stimulation / Q000379:methods; D007814:Larva; D009119:Muscle Contraction / Q000502:physiology*; D018482:Muscle, Skeletal / Q000502:physiology*; D015027:Zebrafish
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