Effects of growth on architecture and functional characteristics of adult rat gastrocnemius muscle

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Abstract
Changes of architecture of adult rat gastrocnemius medialis muscle (GM) due to growth were studied in relation to length-force characteristics. Myofilament lengths were unchanged, indicating constant sarcomere length-force characteristics. Number of sarcomeres within fibers was unchanged as a consequence of growth, allowing persistence of differences between proximal and distal fibers in all age groups. Distal fiber length at muscle optimum length was shorter for the 14- than for the 10- and 16-week age groups despite a lack of difference of number of sarcomeres. This is indicative of a shift of optimum fiber length with respect to muscle length to lengths higher than optimum length. Some evidence for the occurrence of distribution of fiber optimum lengths with respect to muscle optimum length was found in other age groups as well, albeit of a smaller magnitude. Muscle and aponeurosis length increased substantially with growth. Functional effects of increased aponeurosis lengths were increased contributions to muscle length changes by the aponeurosis, allowing smaller fiber contributions in older animals. Fiber angle increased approximately 5° with growth. Despite the differences of architecture indicated above, muscle length range between optimum length and active slack length was constant. This was probably caused by widening of this length range in the youngest age group by variations of architecture within the muscle. It is concluded that adaptation of aspects of muscle architecture is an important mechanism for adult muscle growth in rat GM. Of these aspects regulation of muscle length seems a dominant factor.