Effect of Weight Loss on Muscle Fiber Type, Fiber Size, Capillarity, and Succinate Dehydrogenase Activity in Humans

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Abstract
To examine the effects of weight loss on muscle oxidative proper- ties, nine obese subjects (body mass index, 34 6 1.5) had muscle biopsies before and after weight loss and weight stabilization. Weight loss ranged from 13-32 kg and represented 20.8 6 2.1% of initial weight. After weight loss, there was no change in the proportions of oxidative (type I and type IIa) fibers and also no change in mean fiber cross-sectional area, whereas there was a small, but significant, de- crease in the relative interstitial space (P , 0.05). However, weight loss resulted in a 32 6 6% (mean 6 SEM) increase in capillary/fiber ratio and a 54% increase in capillary density (P , 0.05). In addition, there was a 41 6 13% increase in succinate dehydrogenase (SDH) activity (P , 0.05). This increase in muscle capillarization and SDH activity was seen in all fiber types, even the relatively lower oxidative type IIx fibers. There was a strong correlation between the change in capillary/fiber ratio and the change in SDH activity (r 5 0.82; P , 0.02). Thus, weight loss resulted in no change in muscle fiber type or cross-sectional area, but produced increases in capillary/fiber ratio, capillary density, and SDH activity, suggesting an increase in muscle oxidative capacity. (J Clin Endocrinol Metab 84: 4185- 4190, 1999)
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