THE EFFECTS OF STARVATION ON THE FIBER NUMBER OF SKELETAL MUSCLE IN CHICKS
Yuzo Hikami*, Norihito Kato* Yoshihiko Kanoh* and Toshio Mizuno*
(1978) Sci. Rept. Fac. Agr. Kobe Univ.13: 175-180
Abstract
Chicks aged 28 days were starved for 8 or 9 days. The changes
in the number and diameter of muscle fibers, and in the nitrogen and
deaxyribonucleic acid (DNA) contents of muscle were studied. Moreover, the
activities of four hydrolases namely, acid phosphatase, cathepsin D, acid
ribonuclease and acid deoxyribonuclease, of chick muscle, were assayed. The
diameter of muscle fibers and the amount of total nitrobgen in muscle decreased
during starvation, while the number of muscle fibers and the DNA content of
muscle did not significantly decrease. The detergent-induced activities of acid
phosphatase, cathepsin D and acid ribonuclease increased during starvation,
whereas the activity of acid deoxyribonuclease was not affected. Therefore, it
was concluded that the number of muscle fibers in chicks did not decrease during
starvation.