Abstract
Summary
Capillary density, fiber size and composition, were quantitated by histo-chemical methods in the tibialis anterior, soleus and gastrocnemius (medial head) of rats of different body weights. The capillary density was different in these muscles and it decreased with increasing body weight in a linear fashion due to a concomitant increase in the average cross sectional area of the fibers. This observation suggests that part of the variability in capillary density found in the literature is due to differences in body size. A change in muscle fiber composition with maturation was also observed. These were more marked in the tibialis anterior and in the soleus than in the gastrocnemius.
The authors gratefully acknowledge the assistance of Ms. Sheila H. Eby.
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