Trichinella
spiralis:
of
Muscle
N. FARHIS 1 AND JOHN P. ~IAHLEY
KERMIT Department
Alteration of Gastrocnemius Kinetics in the Mouse
Biobgicul Richmond,
(Accepted
for
Sciences, Kentucky publication
Eastern 40475,
Kentucky U.S.A.
28 January
Unioemity,
1976)
FARRIS, K. N., AND HARLEY, J. I’. 1977. Tricllincl2a spiralis: Alteration of gastrocnemius muscle kinetics in the mouse. Experimentd Parasitology 41, 17-30. Male albino lnice were orally infected with 440 Trichinellu spiralis excysted larvae. Following encystation of the larvae (60-90 days), tests were made with a physiograph to determine strength-duration, rheobase voltage, chronaxie, progressive tetanus, and progressive fatigue of the gastrocnemius muscle of these infected mice. Similar tests were performed on uninfected mice. When the two groups were compared the tests showd that the infected mice had lower strengthdurations, lower rheobase voltage, lower chronaxie, went into tetany sooner, and fatigued faster than similar uninfected mice. All of these kinetic differences were statstically significant (PO.OOl). When the weights of these two groups were compared, there were no statistical differences (P>O.O5). Excitability curves with curare. Excitability curves were developed for infected and uninfected gastrocnemius muscles that had been injected with curare. These muscles required a greater duration per voltage in order to elicit excitation (Fig. 3) than did
FIG. 2. Comparison infected vs uninfected fected; RI rheobase Each mean represents
of excitability
statistics on gastrocnemius mean represents a sample
muscles size of
the muscles not injected with curare (Fig. 2). The rheobase voltages of the infected and mlinfected mice injected with curare were not significantly different (P>O.O5). The respective chronaxies were not significant at the 0.05 level but were significant at the 0.06 level (0.05
spiralis:
of
Muscle
N. FARHIS 1 AND JOHN P. ~IAHLEY
KERMIT Department
Alteration of Gastrocnemius Kinetics in the Mouse
Biobgicul Richmond,
(Accepted
for
Sciences, Kentucky publication
Eastern 40475,
Kentucky U.S.A.
28 January
Unioemity,
1976)
FARRIS, K. N., AND HARLEY, J. I’. 1977. Tricllincl2a spiralis: Alteration of gastrocnemius muscle kinetics in the mouse. Experimentd Parasitology 41, 17-30. Male albino lnice were orally infected with 440 Trichinellu spiralis excysted larvae. Following encystation of the larvae (60-90 days), tests were made with a physiograph to determine strength-duration, rheobase voltage, chronaxie, progressive tetanus, and progressive fatigue of the gastrocnemius muscle of these infected mice. Similar tests were performed on uninfected mice. When the two groups were compared the tests showd that the infected mice had lower strengthdurations, lower rheobase voltage, lower chronaxie, went into tetany sooner, and fatigued faster than similar uninfected mice. All of these kinetic differences were statstically significant (PO.OOl). When the weights of these two groups were compared, there were no statistical differences (P>O.O5). Excitability curves with curare. Excitability curves were developed for infected and uninfected gastrocnemius muscles that had been injected with curare. These muscles required a greater duration per voltage in order to elicit excitation (Fig. 3) than did
FIG. 2. Comparison infected vs uninfected fected; RI rheobase Each mean represents
of excitability
statistics on gastrocnemius mean represents a sample
muscles size of
the muscles not injected with curare (Fig. 2). The rheobase voltages of the infected and mlinfected mice injected with curare were not significantly different (P>O.O5). The respective chronaxies were not significant at the 0.05 level but were significant at the 0.06 level (0.05
