Chronic stimulation of mammalian muscle: enzyme and metabolic changes in individual fibres.

Earlier investigations involving chronic muscle stimulation have shown that skeletal muscle cells possess a much greater metabolic plasticity than had previously been recognized. We have described more fully the time course for the changes in different enzyme systems in single fibres of rabbit fast-twitch tibialis anterior (TA) muscles after periods of continuous stimulation of up to 10 weeks. After 2-5 wk every fibre shows higher levels of many oxidative enzymes than any control fibre; in some cases these levels are 2-10 times higher (well above any found even in the control soleus, a slow-twitch muscle). Citrate synthase, hexokinase and 3-oxoacid CoA-transferase are representatives of this group of enzymes. Other enzymes, such as malate dehydrogenase and amino acid aminotransferases also increase dramatically, but peak single fibre levels do not reach much above the highest in controls. These differential effects confirm at the single fibre level that chronic stimulation can alter mitochondrial composition. According to their staining reaction for myofibrillar ATPase, TA fibres are approximately 25% type IIA, and 75% type IIB, but by 5 wk these are converted to a mixture of type I, IIA and IIC fibres. At 5 wk, levels of glycolytic and high-energy phosphate transfer enzymes had decreased by 80% or more, and seemed to be adjusted to levels appropriate to their (new) ATPase type. This is in contrast to many enzymes of oxidative metabolism, which increase without synchronization with fibre type change. Determinations of metabolite concentrations in individual fibres from muscles freeze-clamped after varying periods of stimulation gave results which differ strikingly from data for acute stimulation. The findings reinforce our previous view that the high levels of ATP utilization engendered by chronic stimulation of muscle elicit a matching response in ATP production through a series of profound adaptations. Some of these are never encountered under the less extreme conditions of endurance exercise. Such features add to the interest and value of the chronic stimulation model as a means of studying the metabolic plasticity of muscle.