The Journal of General Physiology
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The Journal of General Physiology, Vol 62, 737-755, Copyright © 1973 by The Rockefeller University Press

ARTICLE

The Effect of Bathing Solution Tonicity on Resting Tension in Frog Muscle Fibers

J. Lännergren 1 and J. Noth 1

1 From the Nobel Institute for Neurophysiology, Karolinska Institutet, S-104 01 Stockholm 60, Sweden.

Dr. Lännergren's present address is Department of Physiology, University College, London W. C. 1, England. Dr. Noth's present address is Physiologisches Institut II, Universität Düsseldorf, D-4000 Düsseldorf, Germany.

Resting tension and short-range elastic properties of isolated twitch muscle fibers of the frog have been studied while bathed by solutions of different tonicities. Resting tension in isotonic solution at 2.3-µm sarcomere spacing averaged 0.46 mN·mm-2 and was proportional to the fiber cross-section area. Hypertonic solutions, containing 0.1–0.5 mM tetracaine to block contracture tension, caused a small sustained tension increase, which was proportional to the fiber cross-section area and which reached 0.9 mN·mm-2 at two times normal tonicity (2T). Further increases in tonicity caused little increase in tension. Hypotonic solutions decreased tension. Thus, tension at 2.3 µm is a continuous, direct function of tonicity. The dependence of tension on tonicity lessened at greater sarcomere lengths. At 3.2 µm either a very small rise or, in some fibers, a fall in tension resulted from an increase in tonicity. Hypertonic solutions also decreased the tension of extended sarcolemma preparations. In constant-speed stretch experiments the elastic modulus, calculated from the initial part of the stretch response, rose steeply with tonicity over the whole range investigated (1–2.5T). The results show that tension and stiffness of the short-range elastic component do not increase in parallel in hypertonic solutions.

Submitted on May 30, 1973


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