title: In Vitro Assays to Determine Skeletal Muscle Physiologic Function.
abstract: In vitro muscle contractile function assays are important to characterize the differences between different muscle types (e.g., slow vs. fast), between a diseased and non-diseased muscle, or importantly, to demonstrate the efficacy of a muscle treatment such as a drug, an overexpressed transgene, or knockout of a specific gene. Fundamental contractile properties can be assessed by twitch, tetanic, force-frequency, force-velocity, and fatigue assays. Many of these assays are conducted with the muscle at a constant length, e.g., an isometric contraction. However, to better represent the dynamic purpose of muscles in vivo (e.g., to move limbs), dynamic assays such as the force-velocity (concentric contractions) or stretch-injury (eccentric contractions) should also be obtained. Characterizing skeletal muscle function in vitro is a powerful approach to demonstrate efficacy of a treatment to rescue diseased muscle and to assess functional regeneration.
authors: Department of Human Nutrition, Foods and Exercise, Integrated Life Sciences Building, Corporate Research Center, Virginia Tech University, 1981 Kraft Drive, 1029 ILSB, Blacksburg, VA, 24060, USA.
authors: Justin E
authors: JE
authors: Sperringer
authors: Department of Human Nutrition, Foods and Exercise, Integrated Life Sciences Building, Corporate Research Center, Virginia Tech University, 1981 Kraft Drive, 1029 ILSB, Blacksburg, VA, 24060, USA. rgrange@vt.edu.
authors: Robert W
authors: RW
authors: Grange
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001696:Biomechanical Phenomena; D066298:In Vitro Techniques; D009119:Muscle Contraction; D018763:Muscle Fatigue; D053580:Muscle Strength; D018482:Muscle, Skeletal / Q000502:physiology*
keywords: Muscle physiology; Power; Rescued function; Strength