Regrowth of atrophied skeletal muscle in adult rats after ending immobilization.

The recovery time course of muscle atrophied by immobilization was followed after removal of hindlimb casts from adult female rats. Increases of only 9% in body weight, 4% in gastrocnemius weight, and 10% in soleus weight occurred in controls during the 78-day duration of the experiment. There were no increases in the amounts of total protein or of citrate synthase activities in gastrocnemius or soleus during the first 3 days after removal of hindlimb casts; thereafter, there were increases in these paramters. Citrate synthase activities per mg of gastrocnemius protein were significantly higher at the 16th and 50th day of recovery. No significant differences for citrate synthase activity per mg of soleus occurred during recovery. Until the 50th day of recovery, no significant differences for total protein in soleus and for total protein and wet weight of gastrocnemius were observed between control and recovery values. However, the wet weight of the soleus returned rapidly during recovery and was not significantly different from control during recovery.