Biomaterial Database

Experimental potassium depletion myopathy. 1981

A J Corbett, and M Pollock

Myopathic morphological changes were observed in the calf muscles of rats maintained on a potassium-depleted diet for 30-50 days. Light-microscopic changes were more severe in the superficial gastrocnemius muscle fibres and included pallor, swelling and vacuolation, progressing to necrosis, mononuclear cell infiltration and phagocytosis. Mitochondrial disruption, transverse tubular dilatation, membranous body formation and vacuolation were seen on ultrastructural examination. Both vacuoles and subsarcolemmal membranous bodies were shown to be in continuity with the transverse tubular system. More advanced myopathic changes were those of sarcomere destruction and muscle fibre necrosis. Morphological changes resemble those of human potassium depletion myopathy. Ineffective energy metabolism and focal ischaemia due to impaired vasodilatation are proposed as mechanisms for the myopathy of potassium depletion.

UI	MeSH Term	Description	Entries
D008854	Microscopy, Electron	Microscopy using an electron beam, instead of light, to visualize the sample, thereby allowing much greater magnification. The interactions of ELECTRONS with specimens are used to provide information about the fine structure of that specimen. In TRANSMISSION ELECTRON MICROSCOPY the reactions of the electrons that are transmitted through the specimen are imaged. In SCANNING ELECTRON MICROSCOPY an electron beam falls at a non-normal angle on the specimen and the image is derived from the reactions occurring above the plane of the specimen.	Electron Microscopy
D009132	Muscles	Contractile tissue that produces movement in animals.	Muscle Tissue,Muscle,Muscle Tissues,Tissue, Muscle,Tissues, Muscle
D009135	Muscular Diseases	Acquired, familial, and congenital disorders of SKELETAL MUSCLE and SMOOTH MUSCLE.	Muscle Disorders,Myopathies,Myopathic Conditions,Muscle Disorder,Muscular Disease,Myopathic Condition,Myopathy
D009336	Necrosis	The death of cells in an organ or tissue due to disease, injury or failure of the blood supply.
D011191	Potassium Deficiency	A condition due to decreased dietary intake of potassium, as in starvation or failure to administer in intravenous solutions, or to gastrointestinal loss in diarrhea, chronic laxative abuse, vomiting, gastric suction, or bowel diversion. Severe potassium deficiency may produce muscular weakness and lead to paralysis and respiratory failure. Muscular malfunction may result in hypoventilation, paralytic ileus, hypotension, muscle twitches, tetany, and rhabomyolysis. Nephropathy from potassium deficit impairs the concentrating mechanism, producing POLYURIA and decreased maximal urinary concentrating ability with secondary POLYDIPSIA. (Merck Manual, 16th ed)	Deficiencies, Potassium,Deficiency, Potassium,Potassium Deficiencies
D004195	Disease Models, Animal	Naturally-occurring or experimentally-induced animal diseases with pathological processes analogous to human diseases.	Animal Disease Model,Animal Disease Models,Disease Model, Animal
D005260	Female		Females
D000818	Animals	Unicellular or multicellular, heterotrophic organisms, that have sensation and the power of voluntary movement. Under the older five kingdom paradigm, Animalia was one of the kingdoms. Under the modern three domain model, Animalia represents one of the many groups in the domain EUKARYOTA.	Animal,Metazoa,Animalia
D013194	Staining and Labeling	The marking of biological material with a dye or other reagent for the purpose of identifying and quantitating components of tissues, cells or their extracts.	Histological Labeling,Staining,Histological Labelings,Labeling and Staining,Labeling, Histological,Labelings, Histological,Stainings
D051381	Rats	The common name for the genus Rattus.	Rattus,Rats, Laboratory,Rats, Norway,Rattus norvegicus,Laboratory Rat,Laboratory Rats,Norway Rat,Norway Rats,Rat,Rat, Laboratory,Rat, Norway,norvegicus, Rattus