J. Anim Sci.
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J. Anim Sci. 1973. 36:355-362.
© 1973 American Society of Animal Science
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Innervation of Genetically Enlarged Muscles from Double-Muscled Cattle

H. J. Swatland1, 2,

University of Wisconsin, Madison 53706

Abstract

Double-Muscled cattle show muscle enlargement apparently caused by an increased number of myofibers in transverse sections of their muscles. The peripheral motor innervation of muscle from normal and double-muscled cattle was examined by staining with methylene blue. Enlarged muscles had a greater than normal number of branched terminal axons. In many of the animals, motor end plates innervated by branched terminal axons were smaller (P<.01) than those innervated by unbranched terminal axons. Myofibers from enlarged muscles usually had larger motor end plates than myofibers of equal cross sectional area from normal muscles. In both normal and enlarged muscles, motor end plates reached their maximum size on myofibers which had only grown to approximately half their potential cross sectional area. In this study it could not be determined whether these characteristics were due to multiple innervation of intrafascicularly terminating myofibers of extended length, or to myofiber hyperplasia in the absence of a compensatory increase in the number of motor neurons.

Footnotes

1 The author thanks Dr. R. G. Kauffman (University of Wisconsin, Madison) and Dr. N. Kieffer (Texas A & M University) for providing material from their experimental animals. Research was supported initially by the College of Agricultural and Life Sciences, University of Wisconsin, Madison, and by the Research Committee of the Graduate School at the University of Wisconsin. Muscle Biology Laboratory Manuscript No. 9. The latter part of the work was done during the tenure of a Research Fellowship of the Muscular Dystrophy Associations of America.

2 Muscle Biology Laboratory.






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Copyright © 1973 by the American Society of Animal Science.