Immunohistochemical identification of muscle fiber types in normal and degenerated muscles.

Myosin ATPase reactions are generally used to differentiate between muscle fibers. However, those reactions have disadvantages including the need for delicate pH control and preincubation under non-physiological pH. Furthermore enzyme activity is only an indirect reflection of myofilament characteristics. In this study, an immunohistochemical method with anti-slow and anti-fast myosin heavy chain antibodies was used to observe: 1) whether muscle fiber types could be distinguished in degenerated muscles, 2) immunoreactivity of type 2C fibers in denervated muscles, and 3) discrepancies in structural disorders. Thirty one muscle biopsies which included neurogenic, myogenic, and control muscles were examined. Muscle fiber types were recognized in normal and in severely degenerated muscles. Type 2C muscle fibers were not necessarily constantly immunoreactive to both anti-slow and anti-fast myosin antibodies. In some targetoid fibers sites with absence of myosin ATPase activity had the same or rather higher immunoreactivity. Some muscle fibers undergoing fiber-type transformation showed discrepancies in reactivity between enzyme- and immuno-reactivity. This immunohistochemical method is capable of observing changes of muscle fibers during denervation, reinnervation, and also sports activity.