Morphological changes in skeletal muscles in vitamin E-deficient and refed rabbits

Abstract

1. Nutritional muscular dystrophy was induced in young rabbits by giving them a vitamin E-deficient diet. Dystrophic animals were rehabilitated by the addition of vitamin E to the diet. Controls were fed on a supplemented diet containing 50 mg DL-α-tocopheryl acetate/kg.2. Muscle weight and fibre diameter were determined in seven skeletal muscles, from the fore-limb (biceps brachii), the trunk (pectoralis descendens), the hind-limb (gastrocnemius, semitendinosus, soleus, plantaris and tibialis cranialis). Muscle weights, except for those of the soleus and semitendinosus, were significantly reduced in vitamin E-deficient animals when compared with the control animals. A monophasic fibre diameter distribution was obtained for all muscles from all the groups studied. Distribution curves for vitamin E-deficient muscles showed a consistent decrease in fibre diameter. The extent of change in distribution varied among different muscles. On refeeding, the redistribution curve returned to the normal pattern in the biceps brachii, semitendinosus, gastrocnemius, plantaris, tibialis cranialis and pectoralis descendens but not in the soleus.3. No significant changes in bone length or weight were detected in the humerus, femur and tibia in vitamin E-deficient rabbits compared to the control animals.4. Transverse and longitudinal sections of the seven muscles were studied by light microscopy. In the vitamin E-deficient animals, typical hyaline degeneration was observed with much infiltration of collagen and lymphocytes. The extent of degeneration varied among muscles, the gastrocnemius being most affected and the semitendinosus least affected. Muscles in the rabbits refed vitamin E showed that the infiltration with collagen and lymphocytes had almost disappeared.