Imaging of muscle activity-induced morphometric changes in fibril network of myofascia by two-photon microscopy.

Imaging of muscle activity-induced morphometric changes in fibril network of myofascia by two-photon microscopy. J Anat. 2020 Oct 19;: Authors: Chaweewannakorn C, Harada T, Nyasha MR, Koide M, Shikama Y, Hagiwara Y, Sasaki K, Kanzaki M, Tsuchiya M Abstract Myofascia, deep fascia enveloping skeletal muscles, consists of abundant collagen and elastin fibres that play a key role in the transmission of muscular forces. However, understanding of biomechanical dynamics in myofascia remains very limited due to less quantitative and relevant approaches for in vivo examination. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the myofascial fibril structure by means of a quantitative approach using two-photon microscopy (TPM) imaging in combination with intravital staining of Evans blue dye (EBD), a far-red fluorescence dye, which potentially labels elastin. With focus on myofascia of the tibial anterior (TA) muscle, the fibril structure intravitally stained with EBD was observed at the depth level of collagen fibrous membrane above the muscle belly. The EBD-labelled fibril structure and orientation in myofascia indicated biomechanical responses to muscle activity and ageing. The orientation histograms of EBD-labelled fibrils were significantly modified depending upon the intensity of muscle activity and ageing. Moreover, the density of EBD-labelled fibrils in myofascia decreased with habitual exercise but increased with muscle immobilization or age...
Source: Journal of Anatomy - Category: Anatomy Authors: Tags: J Anat Source Type: research