The distribution and relative sizes of three histochemical fibre types in the rat tibialis anterior muscle.

A quantitative study of the tibialis anterior muscle of the adult rat showed that the proportions of each 'histochemical' fibre type varied between adjacent regions along the deep to superficial and medial to lateral axes of the muscle. The distribution of fibre types classified with oxidative enzymes was similar to that using phosphorylase, but differed from that obtained with sections stained for myosin ATPase. This apparent discrepancy in classifation was confirmed by comparison of the ranges of fibre cross sectional areas for each fibre type classified on the basis of their oxidative enzme and ATPase activites, and by an independent analysis of individual fibres in serial sections stained for succinic dehydrogenase and ATPase.