The occurrence of post-denervation hypertrophy in chick slow muscle fibres after complete elimination of stretch and tension.

Abstract

With the slow muscle fibres in the pure slow muscle ALD as well as in two mixed muscles, flexor metacarpi ulnaris and sartorius, it is demonstrated that the phenomenon of postdenervation hypertrophy still occurs under conditions preventing stretch of muscle after denervation or even in tenotomized muscles in shortened state relieved of tension. Striking differences between the slow fibres of the ALD and those of the mixed muscles are seen, both with respect to their histochemical property and to the degree of development of post-denervation hypertrophy. The slow fibres in the mixed muscles show the phenomenon of post-denervation hypertrophy in a much more striking form than the ALD fibres and should be made more use of in further studies on the phenomenon.