Analytical Chem JoVE (Open Access) Citable · DOI

Procedures for Rat in situ Skeletal Muscle Contractile Properties

Name: Procedures for Rat in situ Skeletal Muscle Contractile Properties
Uploaded: 2026-06-24
Duration: 9 min 49 s
Description: There are many circumstances where it is desirable to obtain the contractile response of skeletal muscle under physiological circumstances: normal ...

DOI: 10.3791/3167-v

What you'll learn

✓ Perform surgical preparation and isolation of rat medial gastrocnemius muscle
✓ Mount muscle preparation to force transducer for contractile measurement
✓ Stimulate muscle and measure force-frequency contractile responses in situ
✓ Maintain physiological conditions during intact muscle contractility assessment

Protocol

This video demonstrates the surgical preparation and procedures needed to study the contractile responses of the rat medial gastrocnemius muscle preparation in situ. This preparation allows measurement of skeletal muscle contractile properties under physiological conditions. The animal is anesthetized and the muscle is separated from surrounding tissue at its distal end. The Achilles tendon is attached to a force transducer, allowing measurement of the muscle’s contractile response at 37 degrees C with an intact circulation.

Difficulty

advanced

Total time

~2–3 hours per rat

Model organism

Rat (Sprague Dawley or Lewis)

Biosafety

BSL-1

Steps

Anesthetize and prepare surgical field

Anesthetize the rat and prepare the surgical site for access to the medial gastrocnemius muscle and Achilles tendon.

▶ 02:01

Isolate muscle innervation and tendon

Carefully separate the medial gastrocnemius muscle from surrounding tissue and expose the Achilles tendon and nerve supply.

▶ 03:49

Secure tibia and mount apparatus

Cut and fix the tibia, then attach the Achilles tendon to the force transducer for contractile measurement at 37°C.

▶ 05:25

Apply electrical stimulation to muscle

Stimulate the isolated muscle nerve to elicit contractions and verify force transduction.

▶ 07:22

Measure force-frequency relationship

Deliver graded frequency stimulation and record contractile force output to characterize muscle contractile properties.

▶ 08:33

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