Intracellular tetanic calcium signals are reduced in fatigue of whole skeletal muscle.

Force and intracellular calcium signals were monitored in whole bullfrog semitendinosus muscles during fatigue produced by intermittent tetanic stimulation. Intracellular calcium signals were monitored using the fluorescent calcium-sensitive indicator indo-1 from the ratio of fluorescence intensities (R) at 400 and 470 nm. Fatiguing stimulation caused 1) proportional decreases of tetanic force and R, suggesting a component of the decreased force during fatigue of whole muscle may be due to insufficient calcium to activate contraction; 2) a progressive slowing of the relaxation of both force and R, suggesting slowed force relaxation may be mediated by slowed calcium removal from the myoplasm; 3) an increase of resting level R, suggesting impaired calcium removal from, or increased leakage to the cytosol; 4) prolongation of the twitch contraction, which was paralleled by changes in R. These findings are consistent with previous single fiber studies and suggest that changes in whole muscle contractility with fatigue may be partially mediated by changes in calcium handling by the cell.