Browsing by Person "Ball, Derek"

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An alternative histochemical method to simultaneously demonstrate muscle nuclei and muscle fibre type
(Springer Verlag, 2003-06) Sakkas, G. K.; Ball, Derek; Mercer, Tom; Naish, P. F.
We present a modified histochemical method to examine, simultaneously, nuclei and fibre type in human skeletal muscle. The new procedure (Haem-ATPase) is based on two previously used histochemical protocols. Biopsies were obtained from the rectus abdominis muscle of patients undergoing elective abdominal surgery. Fibre type composition, cross-sectional area (CSA) and nuclei to fibre ratio (N:F) were determined from frozen sections of each biopsy. To test the validity of the new method, serial sections of each biopsy were stained separately using the standard and modified methods. No differences were found in fibre type distribution, mean-weighted CSA and N:F when comparing the modified method with the standard methods. The Haem-ATPase method was found to shrink fibre size by at least 3% (P>0.05) compared with the established myosin acid labile method. We propose that this modified technique is suitable for initial examination of both the nuclei and fibre type in the same frozen sections of human skeletal muscle.
Atrophy of non-locomotor muscle in patients with end-stage renal failure
(Oxford University Press, 2003) Sakkas, G. K.; Ball, Derek; Mercer, Tom; Sargeant, A. J.; Tolfrey, K.; Naish, P. F.
Background. All previous histological studies of skeletal muscles of patients with renal failure have used locomotor muscle biopsies. It is thus unclear to what degree the observed abnormalities are due to the uraemic state and how much is due to disuse. The present study was undertaken to attempt to investigate this question by examining a non-locomotor muscle (rectus abdominis) in patients with end-stage renal failure. Methods. Biopsies from rectus abdominis were obtained from 22 renal failure patients (RFPs) undergoing surgical Tenchkoff catheter implantation for peritoneal dialysis and 20 control subjects undergoing elective abdominal surgery. Histochemical staining of frozen sections and morphometric analysis was used to estimate the proportion of each fibre type, muscle fibre area and capillary density. Myosin heavy chain composition was examined by SDS-PAGE. Results. There were no differences in fibre type distribution between RFPs and controls. All RFPs showed fibre atrophy [mean cross-sectional area (CSA) 3300 1100 m2, compared to 4100 1100 m2 in controls (P < 0.05)]. All fibre types were smaller in mean CSA in RFPs than in controls (15, 26 and 28% for types I, IIa and IIx, respectively). These differences could not be accounted for by differences in age, gender or cardiovascular or diabetic comorbidity. Muscle fibre capillarization, expressed as capillaries per fibre or capillary contacts per fibre, was significantly less in RFPs. Conclusions. Since a non-locomotor muscle was examined, the effects of disuse as a cause of atrophy have been minimized. It is likely, therefore, that the decreased muscle fibre CSA and capillary density of RFPs compared to controls were due predominantly to uraemia itself.
Changes in muscle morphology in dialysis patients after 6 months of aerobic exercise training
(Oxford University Press, 2003-09) Sakkas, G. K.; Sargeant, A. J.; Mercer, Tom; Ball, Derek; Koufaki, Pelagia; Karatzaferi, C.; Naish, P. F.
Background. In the present study we investigated the effect of a 6-month aerobic exercise programme on the morphology of the gastrocnemius muscle of end-stage renal disease (ESRD) patients. Methods. Twenty-four ESRD patients volunteered to participate in the training programme and underwent muscle biopsy before training. Eighteen patients completed the training programme of whom nine agreed to a post-training biopsy (one woman and eight men, mean age 56 15 years). Data are presented for the nine subjects who were biopsied before (PRE) and after training (POST) and separately for the 15 subjects for whom we only have a biopsy before training (cross-sectional group). Results. There were no significant differences (P > 0.05) in fibre type distribution or myosin heavy chain (MyHC) expression between the cross-sectional and PRE/POST groups. The mean cross-section fibre area after training (POST) increased by 46% compared with the PRE training status (P < 0.01). The proportion of atrophic fibres decreased significantly after training in type I, IIa and IIx fibre populations (from 51 to 15%, 58 to 21% and 62 to 32%, respectively). Significant differences were also found in capillary contact per fibre (CC/F), with the muscle having 24% (P < 0.05) more CC/F compared with the PRE training status. No significant differences in cytochrome c oxidase concentration were found between the groups. Conclusions. In conclusion, exercise appeared to be beneficial in renal rehabilitation by correcting the fibre atrophy, increasing the cross-section fibre area and improving the capillarization in the skeletal muscle of renal failure patients.
Skeletal muscle morphology and capillarization of renal failure patients receiving different dialysis therapies
(2004) Sakkas, G. K.; Ball, Derek; Sargeant, A. J.; Mercer, Tom; Koufaki, Pelagia; Naish, P. F.
The morphology of gastrocnemius muscles was examined in RFPs (renal failure patients) being treated using HD (haemodialysis) and CAPD (continuous ambulatory peritoneal dialysis). RFPs (n=24) volunteered to participate in the present study. Twelve RFPs (five women and seven men; mean age, 55 years) were undergoing CAPD treatment and 12 RFPs (two women and ten men; mean age, 62 years) were undergoing HD treatment. Muscle biopsies from gastrocnemius muscles were found not to differ (P>0.05) in fibre type distribution, MyHC (myosin heavy chain) expression or fibre CSA (cross-sectional area) between the two groups. There were, however, significant differences (P<0.05) in CC/F (capillary contact/fibre), C/F (capillary to fibre ratio) and cytochrome c oxidase activity. The HD group had 33% more CC/F, with a 19% higher C/F and 33% greater cytochrome c activity in glycolytic fibres (II) than the CAPD group. There were no apparent differences in age, gender, co-morbidity, self-reported physical activity or physical functioning between the two groups, which could account for the difference in muscle capillarity between the groups. The HD patients were, however, administered heparin as a routine part of the dialysis therapy. The possibility is discussed that heparin in combination with mild anaemia and acidosis may have augmented angiogenesis in the HD patients.