In vitro O2 uptake and histochemical fiber type of resting hamster muscles.

In vitro oxygen consumption (VO2), histochemical fiber type, capillary arrangement, and muscle fiber geometry were measured in three hamster striated muscles. These muscles varied markedly in their histochemical fiber type composition (% by number): retractor (70% FG, fast-twitch, glycolytic; 16% FOG, fast-twitch, oxidative-glycolytic; 14% SO, slow-twitch, oxidative); soleus (57% FOG, 43% SO), and sartorius (98% FG, 2% FOG). Sartorius VO2 [0.80 +/- 0.034 (SE) ml O2 X min-1 X 100 g-1] was significantly different (P less than 0.01) from VO2 of retractor (0.89 +/- 0.038) and soleus (1.00 +/- 0.048). The number of capillaries around a fiber and the surface area/volume were greater for FOG and SO fibers than for FG fibers. Fibers of all types appeared to be roughly elliptical in shape. Capillaries were uniformly distributed around fibers in the soleus, but they were located more toward the ends of the major diameter in the retractor and sartorius. The results suggest a relationship among a fiber's oxidative capacity (based on its histochemical staining pattern), number of surrounding capillaries and surface area/volume. Furthermore, results suggest that VO2 and capillary spacing around a fiber may depend on fiber type.