Biomaterial Database

Pitfalls in the histochemical demonstration of alpha-glucan phosphorylase activity in glycogen-depleted skeletal muscle fibres. 1992

A E Meijer, and J B Ziegan, and P Wirtz, and H Dittrich

Department of Neurology, University of Amsterdam, The Netherlands.

In the present communication, an investigation is described into the reliability of histochemical methods for the demonstration of alpha-glucan phosphorylase activity in glycogen-depleted skeletal muscle fibres. Human skeletal muscles with glycogen-depleted fibres from patients with diseases of the neuromuscular system and from subjects who had suffered from malignant hyperthermia were used for the study. The location of phosphorylase activity and glycogen was demonstrated with histochemical techniques. Biochemical techniques were used to assay the activity of phosphorylase and the content of glycogen. Biochemical determinations of phosphorylase activity did frequently not reveal significant differences between glycogen-depleted and non-depleted skeletal muscle fibres. In contrast, all histochemical methods investigated, showed little or no phosphorylase activity in the glycogen depleted fibres, indicating that none of the existing histochemical methods revealed reliable staining results in these fibres. Owing to the invalid staining results of the histochemical methods for glycogen-depleted muscle fibres, it is necessary that for metabolic studies a biochemical assay for phosphorylase activity is also to be performed.

UI	MeSH Term	Description	Entries
D008305	Malignant Hyperthermia	Rapid and excessive rise of temperature accompanied by muscular rigidity following general anesthesia.	Hyperpyrexia, Malignant,Hyperthermia, Malignant,Malignant Hyperpyrexia,Anesthesia Related Hyperthermia,Hyperthermia of Anesthesia,Anesthesia Hyperthermia,Hyperthermia, Anesthesia Related,Malignant Hyperpyrexias
D009132	Muscles	Contractile tissue that produces movement in animals.	Muscle Tissue,Muscle,Muscle Tissues,Tissue, Muscle,Tissues, Muscle
D009468	Neuromuscular Diseases	A general term encompassing lower MOTOR NEURON DISEASE; PERIPHERAL NERVOUS SYSTEM DISEASES; and certain MUSCULAR DISEASES. Manifestations include MUSCLE WEAKNESS; FASCICULATION; muscle ATROPHY; SPASM; MYOKYMIA; MUSCLE HYPERTONIA, myalgias, and MUSCLE HYPOTONIA.	Amyotonia Congenita,Oppenheim Disease,Cramp-Fasciculation Syndrome,Fasciculation-Cramp Syndrome, Benign,Foley-Denny-Brown Syndrome,Oppenheim's Disease,Benign Fasciculation-Cramp Syndrome,Benign Fasciculation-Cramp Syndromes,Cramp Fasciculation Syndrome,Cramp-Fasciculation Syndromes,Fasciculation Cramp Syndrome, Benign,Fasciculation-Cramp Syndromes, Benign,Foley Denny Brown Syndrome,Neuromuscular Disease,Oppenheims Disease,Syndrome, Cramp-Fasciculation,Syndrome, Foley-Denny-Brown,Syndromes, Cramp-Fasciculation
D010762	Phosphorylase a	The active form of GLYCOGEN PHOSPHORYLASE that is derived from the phosphorylation of PHOSPHORYLASE B. Phosphorylase a is deactivated via hydrolysis of phosphoserine by PHOSPHORYLASE PHOSPHATASE to form PHOSPHORYLASE B.
D012016	Reference Values	The range or frequency distribution of a measurement in a population (of organisms, organs or things) that has not been selected for the presence of disease or abnormality.	Normal Range,Normal Values,Reference Ranges,Normal Ranges,Normal Value,Range, Normal,Range, Reference,Ranges, Normal,Ranges, Reference,Reference Range,Reference Value,Value, Normal,Value, Reference,Values, Normal,Values, Reference
D006003	Glycogen
D006005	Phosphorylases	A class of glucosyltransferases that catalyzes the degradation of storage polysaccharides, such as glucose polymers, by phosphorolysis in animals (GLYCOGEN PHOSPHORYLASE) and in plants (STARCH PHOSPHORYLASE).	Glucan Phosphorylase,Phosphorylase,alpha-Glucan Phosphorylases
D006651	Histocytochemistry	Study of intracellular distribution of chemicals, reaction sites, enzymes, etc., by means of staining reactions, radioactive isotope uptake, selective metal distribution in electron microscopy, or other methods.	Cytochemistry
D006801	Humans	Members of the species Homo sapiens.	Homo sapiens,Man (Taxonomy),Human,Man, Modern,Modern Man