The effects of aqua-exercise on the muscle atrophy of hind limb in rats

This study was peformed to investigate the effects on skeletal muscle recovery with aqua-exercise; swimming to take the muscle endurance for 20 days on two group of white rats which were the low extremity atrophy group(control groups) by fixed for two weeks and aqua-exercise group(experimental groups) after it. The effects was observed with light and electron microcope to measure the morphological changes of muscle fibers. The results obtained were as follow. 1. Light microscope: In the case of control groups, quadriceps fibers had been irregular alignment, decreased muscle width and the irregular alignment nuclear appeared, as it is degenerative muscle fibers. In the case of experimental groups, the fibers had been regular alignment cells and fibers. The nucleus of muscle had been normal characterized by oval shape and fiber sarcomere clearly classified. 2. Electron microscope: In the case of control groups, there were the quadriceps which was Z-line streaming phenomenon induced at the sarcomere and cells nuclear separated from basal membrane. It was not only observed the sarcomere alignment irregularly and mitochondria damaged, but also vacuoles found. In the case of experimental groups, A band, I band, H band had been clearly appeared, classified at the myofibrils of quadriceps, and electronic dense M-line found in sarcomere. There were observed satellite cells and basal laminas that usually to be appeared at the time of mitochondrial development, skeletal muscle fiber regeneration or development. This results suggest that the aqua-exercise assisted to inhibit the degenerative morphological changes of skeletal muscle cells and help to recover from abnormal states. Especially, it is considered to effect on a normal structural formation.