[Histochemical and morphometric study of the fibrillar population in the diaphragm muscle. I. Horse and dog]

Abstract

By using m-ATPase techniques, under alkaline and acid pre-incubations, as well as metabolic techniques (alpha-MGPDH and NADH-TR), sections from the lumbar and costal portions of diaphragm muscle in horse and dog were analysed. Fibre samples were exposed to image-analysis observations in order to determine the lowest fibre diameter and obtain statistical data. The findings revealed that the lumbar portion of horse diaphragm consists of fibre types I, IIA and IIB; in the costal portion, the fibre type I and IIA were present. In the dog, the lumbar and costal portions consisted of fibre types I, IIA and IIC, which showed some specific histochemical characteristics. Some data concerning both morphometrical and statistical fibre-type analysis are presented.