Metabolic profiles of cat and rat pharyngeal and diaphragm muscles

Sternohyoid and diaphragm muscle form and function during postnatal development in the rat

NEW FINDINGS

What is the central question of this study? Co-ordinated activity of the thoracic pump and pharyngeal dilator muscles is critical for maintaining airway calibre and respiratory homeostasis. Whilst postnatal maturation of the diaphragm has been well characterized, surprisingly little is known about the developmental programme in the airway dilator muscles. What is the main finding and its importance? Developmental increases in force-generating capacity and fatigue in the sternohyoid and diaphragm muscles are attributed to a maturational shift in muscle myosin heavy chain phenotype. This maturation is accelerated in the sternohyoid muscle relative to the diaphragm and may have implications for the control of airway calibre in vivo. The striated muscles of breathing, including the thoracic pump and pharyngeal dilator muscles, play a critical role in maintaining respiratory homeostasis. Whilst postnatal maturation of the diaphragm has been well characterized, surprisingly little is known about the developmental programme in airway dilator muscles given that co-ordinated activity of both sets of muscles is needed for the maintenance of airway calibre and effective pulmonary ventilation. The form and function of sternohyoid and diaphragm muscles from Wistar rat pups [postnatal day (PD) 10, 20 and 30] was determined. Isometric contractile and endurance properties were examined in tissue baths containing Krebs solution at 35°C. Myosin heavy chain (MHC) isoform composition was determined using immunofluorescence. Muscle oxidative and glycolytic capacity was assessed by measuring the activities of succinate dehydrogenase and glycerol-3-phosphate dehydrogenase using semi-quantitative histochemistry. Sternohyoid and diaphragm peak isometric force and fatigue increased significantly with postnatal maturation. Developmental myosin disappeared by PD20, whereas MHC2B areal density increased significantly from PD10 to PD30, emerging earlier and to a much greater extent in the sternohyoid muscle. The numerical density of fibres expressing MHC2X and MHC2B increased significantly during development in the sternohyoid. Diaphragm succinate dehydrogenase activity and sternohyoid glycerol-3-phosphate dehydrogenase activity increased significantly with age. Developmental increases in force-generating capacity and fatigue in the sternohyoid and diaphragm muscles are attributed to a postnatal shift in muscle MHC phenotype. The accelerated maturation of the sternohyoid muscle relative to the diaphragm may have implications for the control of airway calibre in vivo.

Black wildebeest skeletal muscle exhibits high oxidative capacity and a high proportion of type IIx fibres

The aim of the study was to investigate the skeletal muscle characteristics of black wildebeest (Connochaetes gnou) in terms of fibre type and metabolism. Samples were obtained post mortem from the vastus lateralis and longissimus lumborum muscles and analysed for myosin heavy chain (MHC) content. Citrate synthase (CS), 3-hydroxyacyl co A dehydrogenase (3HAD), phosphofructokinase (PFK), lactate dehydrogenase (LDH) and creatine kinase (CK) activities were measured spectrophotometrically to represent the major metabolic pathways in these muscles. Both muscles had less than 20% MHC I, whereas MHC IIa and MHC IIx were expressed in excess of 50% in the vastus lateralis and longissimus lumborum muscles, respectively. Overall fibre size was 2675±1034 μm(2), which is small compared with other species. Oxidative capacity (CS and 3HAD) in both muscles was high and did not differ from one another, but the longissimus lumborum had significantly (P<0.05) higher PFK, LDH and CK activities. No relationships were observed between fibre type and the oxidative and oxygen-independent metabolic capacity as measured by specific enzyme activities. This study confirms the presence of both fast-twitch fibres and high oxidative capacity in black wildebeest, indicating an animal that can run very fast but is also fatigue resistant.

Differential expression of lipid and carbohydrate metabolism genes in upper airway versus diaphragm muscle

STUDY OBJECTIVES

Contractile properties of upper airway muscles influence upper airway patency, an issue of particular importance for subjects with obstructive sleep apnea. Expression of genes related to cellular energetics is, in turn, critical for the maintenance of contractile integrity over time during repetitive activation. We tested the hypothesis that sternohyoid has lower expression of genes related to lipid and carbohydrate energetic pathways than the diaphragm.

METHODS

Sternohyoid and diaphragm from normal adult rats were examined with gene expression arrays. Analysis focused on genes belonging to Gene Ontology (GO) groups carbohydrate metabolism and lipid metabolism.

RESULTS

There were 433 genes with at least +/- 2-fold significant differential expression between sternohyoid and diaphragm, of which 192 had sternohyoid > diaphragm and 241 had diaphragm > sternohyoid expression. Among genes with higher sternohyoid expression, there was over-representation of the GO group carbohydrate metabolism (P = 0.0053, n = 13 genes, range of differential expression 2.1- to 6.2-fold) but not lipid metabolism (P = 0.44). Conversely, among genes with higher diaphragm expression, there was over-representation of the GO group lipid metabolism (P = 0.0000065, n = 32 genes, range of differential expression 2.0- to 37.9-fold) but not carbohydrate metabolism (P = 0.23). Nineteen genes with diaphragm > sternohyoid expression were related to fatty acid metabolism (P = 0.000000058), in particular fatty acid beta oxidation and biosynthesis in the mitochondria.

CONCLUSIONS

Sternohyoid has much lower gene expression than diaphragm for mitochondrial enzymes that participate in fatty acid oxidation and biosynthesis. This likely contributes to the lower fatigue resistance of pharyngeal upper airway muscles compared with the diaphragm.

Effects of nicotine on rat sternohyoid muscle contractile properties

Obstructive sleep apnoea (OSA) is a major clinical disorder characterised by recurring episodes of pharyngeal collapse during sleep. At present, there remains no satisfactory treatment for OSA. Pharmacological therapies as a potential treatment for the disorder are an attractive option and include agents that increase the contractility of the pharyngeal muscles. The aim of the present study was to examine the effects of nicotine on upper airway muscle contractile properties. In vitro isometric contractile properties were determined using strips of rat sternohyoid muscle in physiological salt solution containing nicotine (0-100 microg/ml) at 25 degrees C. Isometric twitch and tetanic tension, contraction time, half-relaxation time and tension-frequency relationship were determined by electrical field stimulation with platinum electrodes. Fatigue was induced by stimulation at 40 Hz with 300 ms trains at a frequency of 0.5 Hz for 5 min. Nicotine at a concentration of 1 microg/ml was associated with a significant increase in sternohyoid muscle specific tension compared to control data. Dose-dependent increases in contractile tension were not observed. Nicotine had effects on tension-frequency relationship and endurance properties of the sternohyoid muscle at some but not all doses. A leftward shift in the tension-frequency relationship was observed at low stimulus frequencies (20-30 Hz) for nicotine at a concentration of 1 and 5 microg/ml and a significant increase in fatigue resistance was observed with nicotine at a concentration of 10 microg/ml. As fatigue of the upper airway muscles has been implicated in obstructive airway conditions, a pharmacological agent that improves muscle endurance may prove useful as a potential treatment for such disorders. Therefore, further studies of the effects of nicotinic agonists on upper airway function are warranted.

Breathing modes, body positions, and suprahyoid muscle activity

AIM

To determine (1) how electromyographic activities of the genioglossus and geniohyoid muscles can be differentiated, and (2) whether changes in breathing modes and body positions have effects on the genioglossus and geniohyoid muscle activities.

METHOD

Ten normal subjects participated in the study. Electromyographic activities of both the genioglossus and geniohyoid muscles were recorded during nasal and oral breathing, while the subject was in the upright and supine positions. The electromyographic activities of the genioglossus and geniohyoid muscles were compared during jaw opening, swallowing, mandibular advancement, and tongue protrusion.

RESULTS

The geniohyoid muscle showed greater electromyographic activity than the genioglossus muscle during maximal jaw opening. In addition, the geniohyoid muscle showed a shorter (P < 0.05) latency compared with the genioglossus muscle. Moreover, the genioglossus muscle activity showed a significant difference among different breathing modes and body positions, while there were no significant differences in the geniohyoid muscle activity.

CONCLUSION

Electromyographic activities from the genioglossus and geniohyoid muscles are successfully differentiated. In addition, it appears that changes in the breathing mode and body position significantly affect the genioglossus muscle activity, but do not affect the geniohyoid muscle activity.

Age-related changes in upper airway muscles morphological and oxidative properties

Obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) is a common disorder of the middle aged and elderly. It results from the decrease in upper airway muscle (UAM) tone that occurs during sleep. It is unclear whether age-related changes in UAM could constitute a contributory mechanism to the increased prevalence of OSA with increasing age, and previous papers evaluating the effects of aging on UAM in rats reported conflicting results. In the present study, we compared, in four age groups of Wistar rats (6-24 months), fiber-type distribution, mean cross-sectional fiber area and succinate dehydrogenase optical density of dilating and non-dilating UAM, and the diaphragm. Succinate dehydrogenase optical density, a marker of oxidative capacity, decreased significantly after the age of 6 months in all muscles (except for the sternohyoid), particularly in the genioglossus, the main tongue protrudor. In this muscle, we also found a significant decrease in type IIa and an increase in IIb fibers after the age of 18 months. Age-related changes in fiber-type distribution in other muscles were mostly insignificant. Dilating UAM could not be distinguished from their non-dilating neighboring muscles by their histochemical properties or aging-related changes. The aging-related changes observed in the present study may decrease UAM endurance, particularly that of the main tongue protrudor, the genioglossus.

Muscle fibre types in the suprahyoid muscles of the rat

Five muscle fibre types (I, IIc, IIa, IIx and IIb) were found in the suprahyoid muscles (mylohyoid, geniohyoid, and the anterior and posterior bellies of the digastric) of the rat using immuno and enzyme histochemical techniques. More than 90% of fibres in the muscles examined were fast contracting fibres (types IIa, IIx and IIb). The geniohyoid and the anterior belly of the digastric had the greatest number of IIb fibres, whilst the mylohyoid was almost exclusively formed by aerobic fibres. The posterior belly of the digastric contained a greater percentage of aerobic fibres (83.4%) than the anterior belly (67.8%). With the exception of the geniohyoid, the percentage of type I and IIc fibres, which have slow myosin heavy chain (MHCbeta), was relatively high and greater than has been previously reported in the jaw-closing muscles of the rat, such as the superficial masseter. The geniohyoid and mylohyoid exhibited a mosaic fibre type distribution, without any apparent regionalisation, although in the later MHCbeta-containing fibres (types I and IIc) were primarily located in the rostral 2/3 region. In contrast, the anterior and posterior bellies of the digastric revealed a clear regionalisation. In the anterior belly of the digastric 2 regions were observed: both a central region, which was almost exclusively formed by aerobic fibres and where all of the type I and IIc fibres were located, and a peripheral region, where type IIb fibres predominated. The posterior belly of the digastric showed a deep aerobic region which was greater in size and where type I and IIc fibres were confined, and a superficial region, where primarily type IIx and IIb fibres were observed.

Effect of gender on rat upper airway muscle contractile properties

Obstructive sleep apnoea arises due to upper airway (UA) collapse which is normally counteracted by contraction of UA muscles such as the sternohyoids and geniohyoids. The disorder has a marked male predominance but the effect of gender on UA muscle contractile properties is unknown and these properties have not been compared for the sternohyoid and geniohyoid muscles in the same species. Isometric contractile characteristics were determined using strips of sternohyoid and geniohyoid muscle from male and female rats in Krebs solution at 30 degrees C. For both muscles, there were no differences between male and female contractile kinetics, twitch or tetanic tension, tension-length or tension-frequency relationship or endurance. In both males and females, sternohyoid twitch and tetanic tension was greater than geniohyoid. Sternohyoid endurance was less than geniohyoid but contractile kinetics, tension-length and tension-frequency relationships were similar. Therefore, gender does not affect UA muscle contractile properties and sternohyoid tension is greater and endurance less than that of the geniohyoid.