| Summary |
Skeletal muscle is heterogenic in nature such that one muscle contains several different muscle fiber types including I, IIA, and IIB fiber types. There are significant differences between muscle fiber types such that type I fibers demonstrate greater oxidative capacity and capillarization compared to type IIB fibers. Caleium, working through calcineurin (CaN), is a key determinant of muscle fiber type, such that over expression of CaN increases the number of oxidative muscle fibers (type I and IIA). We hypothesized that CaN also regulates skeletal muscle capillarization. At 10 weeks of age the plantaris muscle of wild-type (WT) (N=6) and CaN over expressing (MCK-CN) (N=5) mice was removed for the measurement skeletal muscle fiber type specific capillarization. The number of capillaries per fiber (C/Fi) was greater in type IIA fibers (WT: 1.30 ± 0.1 vs. MCK-CN: 1.70 ± 0.1) of MCK-CN compared to WT. There was no difference in either type I (WT: 1.72 ± 0.1 vs. MCK-CN: 1.87 ± 0.1) or type IIB fibers (WT: 1.84 ±0.1 vs. MCK-CN: 1.82 ±0.1). In conclusion, our data suggest that overexpression of CaN increases skeletal muscle capillarization of type IIA muscle fibers. |
| General note | Presented to the faculty of the Department of Exercise and Sport Science. |
| General note | Advisor: Timothy P. Gavin |
| Dissertation note | M.A. East Carolina University 2007 |
| Bibliography note | Includes bibliographical references (leaves 33-40). |
| Genre/form | Academic theses. |
| Genre/form | Academic theses. |
| Genre/form | Thèses et écrits académiques. |
