• 1 January 1976
    • journal article
    • research article
    • Vol. 122  (SEP) , 121-131
Abstract
Hypertrophy of the extensor digitorum longus muscle after surgical removal of its companion tibialis anterior muscle was studied in mice. Early, intermediate and late stages in the process of hypertrophy were defined using histological criteria. Central myonuclei and the presence of satellite structures denoted the intermediate state. The proportional increase in the mean cross sectional area of fibers in a hypertrophic muscle consistently exceeded the proportional increase in the weight of the same muscle in all animals. This suggests that hypoplasia (loss of fibers) may occur during surgically induced hypertrophy.