GENDER AND CONTRACTILE FUNCTIONS OF SLOW AND FAST SKELETAL MUSCLES IN STREPTOZOTOCIN INDUCED DIABETIC SPRAGUE DAWLEY RATS
Abstract
Objectives: Diabetes mellitus has been linked with specific morphological and metabolic abnormalities of skeletal muscle in a fiber specific manner. Aim: The present study was designed to compare the contractile functions of slow and fast skeletal muscles in streptozotocin (STZ) induced diabetic male and female Sprague Dawley rats. Material and methods: Thirty healthy Sprague Dawley rats (15 male and 15 female) were divided into two groups and studied after four weeks following diabetes induction. The rats in group I (male diabetic; n = 15) and group II (female diabetic; n = 15) were fed on normal pellet diet and water ad libitum and rendered diabetic by single intraperitoneal injection of STZ 65 mg/kg body weight at the start of study (day 1). At the end of four weeks, the contractile parameters of slow soleus and fast extensor digitorum longus (EDL) muscles were recorded by iWorx advanced animal/human physiology data acquisition unit (AHK/214). Results: At the end of four weeks, the weight of isolated soleus and EDL muscles in the male diabetic rats was significantly higher (p < 0.001) as compared to the female diabetic rats. However, no significant difference was found in any of the contractile functions of isolated soleus and EDL muscles when compared between the male and female diabetic rats. Conclusion: No gender differences exist in the contractile functions of slow and fast skeletal muscles in streptozotocin induced diabetic Sprague Dawley rats.