Effects of temperature on function of mammalian (rat) muscle

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Abstract
Results are reported on the effects of local cooling on the function of a mammalian muscle (rat gastrocnemius) stimulated with supramaximal shocks both through its nerve and directly after complete curarization of the animal. By varying the two parameters of muscle temperature and stimulus frequency, complex, though reproducible, curves relating the amount of tension developed as a function of temperature at any given stimulus frequency were obtained. In general, the muscle developed more tension when cooled between certain temperature limits and when stimulated between certain frequency limits. The results were the same on both indirect and direct stimulation, indicating that the effects of temperature at the neuromuscular junction were not the critical elements in the phenomena observed. These rather unexpected observations suggest that perhaps in such diseases as myasthenia gravis it might be profitable to reexamine the role of the neuromuscular junction as contrasted with a possible primary disorder of the contractile mechanism.

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