In Situ Muscle Preparation
In Situ Muscle Preparation - Related Videos
14:36
Evaluation of Muscle Function of the Extensor Digitorum Longus Muscle Ex vivo and Tibialis Anterior Muscle In situ in Mice
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Cited by 75 •
2013
Changes in limb muscle contractile and passive mechanical properties are important biomarkers for muscle diseases. This manuscript describes physiological assays to measure these properties in the murine extensor digitorum longus and tibialis anterior muscles.
09:49
Procedures for Rat in situ Skeletal Muscle Contractile Properties
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Cited by 18 •
2011
This video demonstrates the surgical preparation and procedures needed to study the contractile responses of the rat medial gastrocnemius muscle preparation in situ. This preparation allows measurement of skeletal muscle contractile properties under physiological conditions. The animal is anesthetized and the muscle is separated from surrounding tissue at its distal end. The Achilles tendon is attached to a force transducer, allowing measurement of the muscle’s contractile response at 37...
08:27
Preparation of Drosophila Central Neurons for in situ Patch Clamping
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Cited by 9 •
2012
In situ patch clamp recordings are used for electrophysiological characterization of neurons in intact circuitry. In the Drosophila genetic model patch clamping is difficult because the CNS is small and surrounded by a robust sheath. This article describes the procedure to remove the sheath and clean neurons for subsequent patch clamp recordings.
08:35
In Situ Immunofluorescent Staining of Autophagy in Muscle Stem Cells
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Cited by 2 •
2017
Active autophagy is associated with productive muscle regeneration, which is essential for Muscle Stem Cell (MuSC) activation. Here, we provide a protocol for the in situ detection of LC3, an autophagy marker in MyoD-positive MuSCs of muscle tissue sections from control and injured mice.
07:19
The Mouse Cremaster Muscle Preparation for Intravital Imaging of the Microcirculation
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Cited by 46 •
2011
A tissue preparation is described for visualization and experimental manipulation of the living microcirculation. In anesthetized male mice, the thin, highly vascularized cremaster muscle is prepared for intravital microscopy to study microvascular networks including arterioles, capillaries and venules. This preparation is readily adapted for rats and hamsters.
FAQs
Preserving the motor nerve allows investigators to stimulate the muscle through its normal neural connection rather than activating the tissue only with direct electrical stimulation. This distinction helps reveal how neuromuscular signaling contributes to contraction. Comparing nerve stimulation with direct activation can therefore separate effects arising from motor-nerve function from those produced within the muscle itself.
A force transducer converts muscle contraction into a measurable force signal. This makes it possible to quantify how strongly the muscle responds during stimulation and to follow changes across repeated contractions. Measurements of force, fatigue, and recovery connect the experimental stimulus to whole-muscle performance, providing outcomes that are more informative than observing movement alone.
Maintaining the muscle’s native anatomical position and key connections preserves relationships between muscle architecture, neural input, and contraction. Researchers can then examine how an activation signal is expressed as force by the intact muscle rather than interpreting cellular events in isolation. This helps link excitation-contraction coupling to the performance of the entire muscle.
The preparation begins by surgically exposing the selected muscle while retaining relevant connections to surrounding tissues, nerves, or circulation. The muscle is then attached to a force transducer, and activation is delivered either through its motor nerve or by direct electrical stimulation. Researchers record contraction responses and may continue measurements to assess fatigue and recovery.
Nerve stimulation is appropriate when the experiment focuses on motor-nerve input and neuromuscular function, because it activates the muscle through its preserved neural connection. Direct electrical activation provides an alternative route for stimulating the muscle itself. Using these options allows investigators to examine whether an observed contraction pattern reflects neural transmission, muscle responsiveness, or both.
In situ muscle preparation supports studies of neuromuscular function, excitation-contraction coupling, metabolism, exercise responses, and muscle disease. Its measurements can include contraction force, fatigue, and recovery, allowing researchers to evaluate how muscle performance changes under controlled stimulation. The approach is especially useful when cellular mechanisms must be related to responses produced by a whole muscle.