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Ultrastructural Changes in Hereditary Muscular Hypertrophy in Cattle

Ultrastrukturella förändringar vid hereditär muskelhypertrofi hos nötkreatur

Abstract

Biopsies of skeletal muscle collected from 24 animals classified as “double muscled” were examined by light and electron microscopy. The muscle samples exhibited degenerative changes including the presence of vacuolations and lamellated structures, fragmentation of myofibers, accumulation of glycogen granules, disruption of neuromuscular junctions and disorganization of the sarcolemma. In the light of the excessive fragility of the erythrocyte membranes noted previously, the alteration in the sarcolemma suggests that a generalized cell membrane defect may be the most consistent feature of the “double muscling syndrome” in cattle.

Sammanfattning

Skelettmuskelbiopsier från 24 djur klassificerade som “double muscled” undersöktes med ljus- och elektronmikroskop. Muskelproverna visade degenerativa förändringar omfattande vakuolisering och uppträdande av lamellartade figurer, ansamling av glykogenkorn, uppsplittring av muskelfibrerna, isärsprängning av nerv-muskelförbindelser samt desorganiserat sarcolemma. Med tanke på den extrema känslighet som tidigare observerats i erythrocytmembranet antyder förändringarna i sarcolemmat att en generell membrandefekt kan vara det mest genomgående draget i “the double muscling syndrome” hos nötkreatur.

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The investigation was supported in part by a grant from the National Research Council of Canada (to P. K. Basrur).

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King, W.A., Basrur, P.K. Ultrastructural Changes in Hereditary Muscular Hypertrophy in Cattle. Acta Vet Scand 20, 245–257 (1979). https://doi.org/10.1186/BF03546616

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