We used mouse soleus in vitro (n = 30) and canine gastrocnemius-plantaris preparations (n = 20) pump-perfused at the animal's blood pressure to establish if free radicals contribute to fatigue in oxidative skeletal muscle. The soleus from each leg contracted for 200 ms (70 Hz) once every minute for 60 min in Hepes buffer gassed with 100% oxygen at 27 degrees C. When contracting in Hepes alone, both muscles fatigued at 0.9 mN/mm2.min over the 60 min. The addition of purines to the bath increased the rate to 1.4 mN/mm2.min and the addition of xanthine oxidase to generate free radicals increased the rate again to 1.9 mN/mm2.min. Thus free radicals appeared to attenuate oxidative skeletal muscle function. Each canine muscle contracted isometrically at 4 Hz for 30 min and then rested for 45 min before contracting for a second 30 min at 4 Hz. In each experiment, we infused saline at 0.76 mL/min into resting muscle and at 1.91 mL/min during the first contraction period. During the remainder of the experiment, we infused, at the same rates, saline (n = 4), 10 microM dimethyl sulfoxide (DMSO) (n = 4) to identify the effect of scavenging hydroxyl radicals, 1 mM allopurinol to establish the effect of blocking xanthine oxidase (n = 4), or 200 microM desferoxamine to determine the effect of chelating iron (n = 4). With saline, the fatigue rate over the 30 min of contractions increased from 5.0 +/- 0.2 to 6.3 +/- 0.5 N/kg.min from the first to the second stimulation period. The fatigue rate was slower in the second period with each of the three experimental substances (DMSO, 5.9 +/- 0.8 to 3.2 +/- 0.3; allopurinol, 7.3 +/- 1.1 to 4.6 +/- 0.6; desferoxamine, 6.8 +/- 0.8 to 4.4 +/- 0.8 N/kg.min). The fatigue rate was the same as control when DMSO was infused only during the second contraction period. Therefore, free radicals appeared to contribute to fatigue in oxidative skeletal muscle.

In evaluating the efficiency of humans performing exercise, base-line subtractions have been used in an attempt to determine the efficiency of the muscles in performing the external work. Despite the fact that base lines have been criticized previously, they have been widely used without adequate analysis of the implications involved. Calculations of efficiencies using data available in the literature for isolated muscle preparations revealed that base-line subtractions result in unreasonably high efficiencies. This suggests strongly that the base lines are invalid. To be valid, a base line must continue unchanged under all the conditions in which it is applied. Previously published data indicate clearly that exercise base lines change with increasing work rate and are therefore invalid. The use of base lines is further complicated by elastic energy storage in some types of exercise. Although exercise efficiencies using base line subtractions may be useful, they do not indicate muscle efficiency. Perhaps future studies of exercise metabolism should be directed less at refining base lines and more toward describing and quantifying the determinants of energy expenditure.

A reduction in the height of the suprascapular foramen may predispose to entrapment of the suprascapular nerve. In this study, 16 of 27 cadavers (60%) demonstrated a heretofore unreported ligament located on the anterior aspect of the suprascapular foramen. In 11 of the 27 cadavers (41%), the ligament was observed bilaterally. The ligament decreased the foraminal height from the normative value of 5.6 +/- 0.4 to 2.3 +/- 0.4 mm (mean +/- SEM). Because this ligament, for which we propose the term anterior coracoscapular ligament (ACSL), substantially narrows the suprascapular foramen, it should be considered as a possible etiologic factor in suprascapular nerve entrapment.

Our purpose was to determine if physiological characteristics of skeletal muscles of dogs and cats are related to their histochemical and biochemical characteristics. Maximum oxygen consumption (VO2max) and blood flow (Q) at VO2max were determined for in situ muscles of dogs and cats. Compared to cat muscles, dog muscles per unit mass had higher succinate oxidase activities, VO2max's, and Q's at VO2max's. There are positive relationships between Q at VO2max and VO2max and between VO2max and succinate oxidase activity. The higher VO2max's and succinate oxidase activities of dog muscles are consistent with the presence in these muscles of only slow-twitch fatique-resistant fibers and fast-twitch fatique-resistant fibers, whereas up to 50% of the fibers found in cat muscles are fast-twitch fatiqable. Capillary-to-fiber ratios are 2.40-2.97 for dog muscles compared to 2.17-2.84 for cat muscles. Thus the two- to threefold higher Q at VO2max for dog muscles compared to cat muscles is not due to a greater number of capillaries.

The hypothesis that hyperperfusion decreases muscle fatigue by increasing O2 and substrate delivery to the muscle was tested. Canine gastrocnemius-plantaris in situ preparations were stimulated at 5 Hz for 4 min during a free-flow control period and for 20 min during a pump-perfused experimental period. O2 delivery during these two periods was matched either by decreasing blood flow in animals breathing 100% O2 (high O2/low flow) [experimental-to-control ratio (E/C) = 0.97 + 0.02] or by increasing the blood flow in animals breathing 14% O2 (low O2/high flow) (E/C = 1.01 + 0.01). Plasma flow estimated from hematocrit to approximate substrate delivery was matched in the two contraction periods either by maintaining blood flow at the steady-state level (constant flow) (E/C = 0.98 + 0.10) or by increasing flow in animals with a dextran for 6% of blood volume exchange (dilute/high flow) (E/C = 1.02 + 0.02). E/C for initial developed tension was 1.00 + 0.02. Over 20 min, developed tension decreased 15.0 + 1.1% with low O2/high flow and 16.0 + 1.8% with dilute/high flow. Tension decreased by 28.0 + 3.0 and 27.8 + 1.5% with high O2/low flow and constant flow, respectively. Thus hyperperfusion decreased fatigue by a mechanism independent of increased O2 and substrate delivery.