Response of dystrophic muscles to reduced load.

We have previously reported that, in dystrophic mice, functional overload has a damaging effect on the tibialis anterior (TA) muscle. In the present study, we have examined the effect of a load reduction on the TA and extensor digitorum longus (EDL) muscles. Our results show that reducing the passive load to which these muscles are subjected in dystrophic mice by resecting the Achilles tendon has a beneficial effect. The force output of the "released" EDL muscle improved, while the time course of contraction and relaxation of the "released" TA muscle became faster. Also in this muscle, resistance to fatigue became significantly greater. Low frequency electrical stimulation of the "released" muscles via implanted electrodes had little effect on their force output. It led, however, to a relative speeding of their time course of contraction and relaxation and to a further increase in their resistance to fatigue. Taken together, our results suggest that the beneficial effect of low frequency electrical stimulation on the force output of weak dystrophic muscles, described in the preceding paper, might be conditioned by the load to which these muscles are subjected.