[Increase in the time of conservation of contractility of glycerinated muscles exposed to subthreshhold concentrations of chemical agents]

Abstract

The response of glycerinized frog muscles to the action of chemical agents at subthreshold concentrations was the same as that of living muscles. Preservation of contractility (up to 50--200% over the control time) in response to ATP was achieved by incubation of the muscle models in solutions of chloral hydrate (0.0038--0.015M), urethan (0.09--0.35M), urea (0.5M) and sodium chloride (0.035--0.070M). Concentrations of these agents were always about 15--45% of the toxicity threshold. The prolongation of the "survival time" is suggested to depend on changes in the contractile proteins of muscles.