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A Histochemical Study

Edward Williamson, MD; Michael H. Brooke, MD

Arch Neurol. 1972;26(1):11-16.

Abstract
A patient was seen who developed myokymia acutely. The electromyographic picture revealed the typical trains of motor unit potentials in the gastrocnemii at rest. A biopsy of the gastrocnemius muscle at a time when myokymia was present showed some interesting histochemical changes. A population of fibers was seen which was entirely depleted of glycogen. These were scattered throughout the biopsy and did not occur in clumps. In one region of the biopsy, the glycogen depleted fibers were all type IIA and in another area all were type IIB. Many type I fibers stained more darkly than usual with the PAS stain for glycogen. These results parallel experimental work in animals and suggest that in man muscle fibers of a given motor unit are uniform in histochemical type. It also suggests that subunits do not exist in man.

Author Affiliations
Denver

From the Division of Neurology, University of Colorado Medical Center, Denver.

Footnotes
Accepted for publication July 6, 1971.

Reprint requests to Division of Neurology, University of Colorado Medical Center, 4200 E Ninth Ave, Denver 80220 (Dr. Brooke).

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