Heterogeneity of fiber characteristics in the rat masseter and digastric muscles (original) (raw)

Histochemical fibre composition of the human digastric muscle

Archives of Oral Biology, 1982

The histochemical muscle-fibte composition of the anterior and posterior belly of the human digastric muscle was analysed in young male adults. Both bellies, of differing embryological origin and supplied by different cranial nerves, showed a fibre composition similar lo that of normal limb and trunk muscles. Type I, type HA and type IIB fibres each occupied about one-third of the total fibre population and were evenly distributed in a mosaic pattern. About 1 per cent of fibres were type IIC and ATPase (pH 9.4) intermediate fibres. Thus. there were major differences between the anterior belly of digastric and the likewise trigeminal nerve innervated masticatory muscles with respect to both histochemical profile and size and distribution of various types of fibre. The observations suggest that the fibre pattern of the digastric is not primarily related to its specific nervous supply but its special functional demands. The predominance of type II fibres indicates a capacity for fast acceleration and speed in mandibular movements. The disparity in fibre-type profile between the digastric and the jaw elevator muscles might be related to changing demands during evolution. Civilized diets need no heavy mastication and, while the requirements upon the jaw elevators have thus changed, the functional demands on the jaw openers would have remained unchanged.

Histochemical and morphological muscle-fibre characteristics of the human masseter, the medial pterygoid and the temporal muscles

Archives of Oral Biology, 1983

An extensive histochemical and quantitative analysis of various portions of the human masseter, the medial pterygoid and the temporal muscles was performed in young adult males with normal intermaxillary relationships and complete dentition. There was marked and locally radical intramuscular variability in the muscle-fibre composition. Each muscle and the subunits of the muscles exhibited a characteristic fibre pattern-both the relative frequency and the diameter of the various fibre types differed significantly between the different portions. The fibre pattern was quantitatively different to that of the human lateral pterygoid muscle and both quantitatively and qualitatively dissimilar to that of the human digastric muscle and that of normal limb and trunk muscles. A large proportion of the fibres were ATPase intermediate fibres and must be regarded as being a part of the normal fibre population of the human mandibular elevator muscles. Type IIA fibres were rare. As muscle-fibre differentiation is considered to be influenced by motoneurone function, it can be assumed that the complex fibre pattern of the jaw-closing muscles is related to the unique function of the human mandibular locomotor system. A functional specialization is suggested providing optimal jaw control. Compared with the lateral pterygoid muscle (with predominantly type I fibres) and the digastric muscle (with predominantly type II fibres), the heterogeneous fibre composition of the jaw-closing muscles probably reflects their more complicated activity pattern and functional requirements. The marked difference between the type I and the type II fibre diameters, type II fibres generally being smaller, might reflect evolutionary changes in the masticatory habits, such as adaptation to refined and soft food. The individual variability in fibre composition suggests various levelr. of utilization and varying ability to adapt to jaw-muscle hyperactivity, to resist fatigue.

Reduced masticatory function is related to lower satellite cell numbers in masseter muscle

The European Journal of Orthodontics, 2012

The physiology of masseter muscles is known to change in response to functional demands, but the effect on the satellite cell (SC) population is not known. In this study, the hypothesis is tested that a decreased functional demand of the masseter muscle causes a reduction of SCs. To this end, twelve 5-week-old male Sprague-Dawley rats were put on a soft diet (SD, n = 6) or a hard diet (HD, n = 6) and sacrificed after 14 days. Paraffin sections of the superficial masseter and the m. digastricus (control muscle) were stained with haematoxylin and eosin for tissue survey and with anti-myosin heavy chain (MHC) for slow and fast fibres. Frozen sections of both muscles were double-stained for collagen type IV and Pax7. Slow MHC fibres were equally distributed in the m. digastricus but only localized in a small area of the m. masseter. No differences between HD or SD for the m. digastricus were found. The m. masseter had more SCs per fibre in HD than in SD (0.093 ± 0.007 and 0.081 ± 0.008, respectively; P = 0.027). The m. masseter had more fibres per surface area than the m. digastricus in rats with an SD group (758.1 ± 101.6 and 568.4±85.6, P = 0.047) and a HD group (737.7 ± 32.6 and 592.2 ± 82.2; P = 0.007). The m. digastricus had more SCs per fibre than the m. masseter in the SD group (0.094 ± 0.01 and 0.081 ± 0.008; P = 0.039). These results suggest that reduced masseter muscle function is related to a lower number of SCs. Reduced muscle function might decrease microdamage and hence the requirement of SCs in the muscle fibres.

Muscle Fiber Type Composition Fiber Diameter Capillary Density in Temporalis and Masseter Muscles

GUIMARÃES, T. B.; FERREIRA, M. B.; WAKAMATSU, A.; OLIVEIRA, S. R.; GUIMARÃES, A. S.; SUAZO, G. I. & MARIE, S. N. Muscle fiber type composition, fiber diameter, capillary density in temporalis and masseter muscles and correlation with bite force. Int. J. Morphol., 31(2):747-753, 2013.

Histochemical characterization of masseter muscle fibres in a biopsy study of normal young women

Archives of Oral Biology, 1992

Muscle fibres from biopsies of the anterior part of the masseter muscle (pars superficialis) were histochemically characterized in 13 healthy female students. They were 21-28 yr old with a full complement of teeth, and normal facial and occlusal relations. Before surgery, normal masseter muscle function was demonstrated by bite-force measurements and recordings of electromyographic activity. After staining for myosin ATPase activity, the relative mean areas of muscle fibres were: type I 82.9%, type IM 9.5% and type II 8.3%. The intraindividual (18-155% of 2) and interindividual (O-216% of .f) variation of the fibre size was large. The type I fibres had the largest diameter (IO-80 pm, P: 39 pm). the type II fibres (647Rm, .f: 21 pm) and the IM fibres (8-54pm. 2: 28pm) the smallest. The biopsy technique and the histochemical characterization will be suitable for reference in women with functional changes or diseases of the masseter muscle.

Enzyme-histochemical and morphological characteristics of muscle fibre types in the human buccinator and orbicularis oris

Archives of Oral Biology, 1990

Human masticatory muscles, originating from the first branchial arch and innervated by the trigeminal nerve, have a fibre composition distinct from that of limb and trunk muscles. The zygomatic muscles, originating from the second branchial arch and innervated by the facial nerve, differ in fibre composition from either the masticatory or the limb and trunk muscles. To elucidate further the structural basis for function, and the influence of embryological origin and innervation on oro-facial muscles, the buccinator and orbicularis oris muscles, which originate from the second branchial arch and are innervated by the facial nerve, were investigated.

Ontogeny of histochemical fiber types and muscle function in the masseter muscle of miniature swine

American Journal of Physical Anthropology, 2000

In this study of masticatory maturation, the ontogeny of the histochemical fiber type composition of musculus masseter is examined in the omnivorous miniature swine (Sus scrofa). Fiber type characteristics are interpreted by comparison with electromyography (EMG) recorded during feeding behavior. Similar to locomotion studies, the results suggest a correspondence between the composition and arrangement of motor units and their recruitment pattern. Serial sections of masseter muscles from 10 minipigs, ranging from 2 weeks to slightly over 1 year of age, were stained for myosin adenosine triphosphatase (mATPase) activity to distinguish slow-twitch from fast-twitch fibers, and for nicotinamide adenosine dehydrogenase-tetrazolium reductase to assess the aerobic capacity of the same fibers. Although maintaining a uniformly high aerobic capacity throughout ontogeny and in adult animals, a transition is observed in the relative proportions of fast-and slow-twitch fibers. The primarily fast-twitch neonatal pig masseter eventually comprises ϳ25-30% slow-twitch fibers in adults, with a higher predominance of slow fibers in the deep (vs. superficial) and anterior (vs. posterior) regions of the muscle. Furthermore, while individual fibers of adult masseters generally stain for either alkaline-or acid-stable mAT-Pase activity, a substantial proportion of cells in developing animals exhibits the presence of both isozymes. EMG results indicate functional heterogeneity within the masseter of adult pigs. During chewing, when pig chow is replaced by cracked corn, EMG activity in the deep portion of the muscle either decreases or increases slightly. In the superficial portion, however, muscle amplitudes become dramatically higher for corn, surpassing levels generated for chewing the less obdurate chow. These results are consistent with a behavioral transition from neonatal suckling to sustained mastication of foods of more complex textures eaten by adult pigs. The relationship between these fiber type and EMG results for pig masseter corresponds to those pertaining to motor unit recruitment in the extensor muscles of locomotion. Implications of this work for the evolutionary morphology of mastication also are discussed.

Enzyme-histochemical differences in fibre-type between the human major and minor zygomatic and the first dorsal interosseus muscles

Archives of Oral Biology, 1987

Human masticatory muscles, innervated by the trigeminal nerve, differ in fibre-type composition from limb and trunk muscles, but the anterior and the posterior belly of the human digastric muscle, innervated by the trigeminal and facial nerves, respectively, do not. The major and minor zygomatic muscles from adult males, which originate from the second branchial arch and are supplied by the facial nerve, were analysed enzyme-histochemically and compared with the first dorsal interosseus hand muscle, which has spinal innervation and, like the masticatory and facial muscles, a large cortical representation. Both zygomatic muscles had a marked predominance of type II fibres, the minor one having the largest proportion (89.1 per cent) ever reported in human skeletal muscle. Besides type I, IIA, IIB, and a few type IIC fibres, there was a large group with an ATPase reaction at pH 4.6, between that of type IIA and type IIB, and termed IIAB. This fibre-type profile may reflect a special isomyosin composition. Type I and II fibres were of about equal diameter, corresponding to that of type I fibres in the masticatory muscles. Individual and intra-muscular variability in fibre size and shape was considerable. The unusually high frequency of type II fibres in the zygomatic muscles suggest that they have fast-contraction properties and relatively large motor units, and therefore are poorly adapted to finely-graded movements. The absence of muscle spindles supports this view. The hand muscle had a chequer-board pattern of type I, IIA and IIB fibres, similar to that of large limb and trunk muscles, with no difference between its two heads.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)