Muscle Physiology Applications
Aurora Scientific’s muscle physiology products are used in a variety of research protocols and assays to study skeletal, cardiac and smooth muscle from cell to whole tissue. Whether in vivo, in vitro or in situ, physiologists can precisely measure various indices of function including force, length, and ratiometric calcium. They can also calculate important functional data such as twitch, tetanus, fatigue, force-frequency, force-velocity, stiffness and work loops, to name a few.
Popular basic science and preclinical applications of muscle physiology and function research are listed below.
Exercise & Metabolism
From studying how different athletes perform or recover to quantifying an animal model’s resistance to metabolic fatigue, the field of exercise and metabolic physiology encompasses a broad range of study. Aurora Scientific has solutions to address these different areas of inquiry whether in murine or other animal models, or even with human samples. Powerful software combined with precise instruments for studying whole animal, whole muscle and single fiber samples make Aurora Scientific the leader in providing Exercise Physiologists with the means to understand muscle performance at the highest level.
Common Applications:
- human performance
- fatigue
- injury rehabilitation
- training & exercise
Recent Publications:
- Goh et al. “Myonuclear accretion is a determinant of exercise-induced remodeling in skeletal muscle” eLife (2019) DOI: 10.7554/eLife.44876
- Blitz et al. “Infiltration of intramuscular adipose tissue impairs skeletal muscle contraction” The Journal of Physiology (2020) DOI: 10.1113/JP279595
- Nay et al. “Gut bacteria are critical for optimal muscle function: a potential link with glucose homeostasis” American Journal of Physiology Endocrinology and Metabolism (2019) DOI: 10.1152/ajpendo.00521.2018
Cardiology
For nearly 20 years Aurora Scientific has been at the forefront of cardiac tissue mechanics research. Aurora Scientific equipment is used by many of the world’s top researchers studying isolated heart tissue, fibers and even cells. We understand that heart muscle is different from other types of muscle and that its study presents unique challenges. Whether measuring force in cardiac myocytes or quantifying the mechanical properties of iPSC-derived cardiac scaffolds, Aurora Scientific has the expertise and the instruments to support the most demanding of cardiac mechanics experiments.
Common Applications:
- myosin thick & thin filaments
- myofibrillar protein function
- cardiac scaffolds & constructs
- induced pluripotent stem cell (iPSC)-derived cardiac myocytes
- cross-bridge cycling kinetics
- artificial cardiac constructs
- cardiac tissue engineering
Recent Publications:
- Schick et al. “Reduced preload increases Mechanical Control (strain-rate dependence) of Relaxation by modifying myosin kinetics” Archives of Biochemistry and Biophysics (2021) DOI: 10.1016/j.abb.2021.108909
- Pappritz et al. “Impact of syndecan-2-selected mesenchymal stromal cells on the early onset of diabetic cardiomyopathy in diabetic db/db mice” Frontiers in Cardiovascular Medicine (2021) DOI: 10.3389/fcvm.2021.632728
- Gonçalves-Rodrigues et al. “In Vitro Assessment of Cardiac Function Using Skinned Cardiomyocytes” Journal of Visualized Experiments (2020) DOI: 10.3791/60427
Muscle Pathology & Wasting
As the largest generation in history enters their senior years, research into muscle pathologies has come into greater focus. These can include rare conditions like muscular dystrophy or more commonly, muscle atrophy due to cancer or disuse after injury. To develop drugs and therapies that combat this broad group of myopathies, functional measurements of muscle are often required in animal models. Aurora Scientific has worked with researchers in this community to provide tools that allow the study of muscles like the diaphragm as well as non-invasive assays to perform longitudinal tests on an individual animal as a disease or therapy progresses. We are proud of our long history working with the leading researchers and academics in this field and proud of the role our muscle pathology research instruments have played.
Common Applications:
- Duchenne muscular dystrophy (DMD)
- cachexia & sarcopenia
- gerontology & aging
- muscle atrophy
- spinal muscular atrophy (SMA)
- myotonia
- glycogen storage disease type II (Pompe disease)
- myotubular myopathy
Recent Publications:
- Potter et al. “Dose-Escalation Study of Systemically Delivered rAAVrh74.MHCK7.micro-dystrophin in the mdx Mouse Model of Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy” Human Gene Therapy (2021) DOI: 10.1089/hum.2019.255
- Maino et al. “Targeted genome editing in vivo corrects a Dmd duplication restoring wild-type dystrophin expression” EMBO Molecular Medicine (2021) DOI: 10.15252/emmm.202013228
- Padilla et al. “Profiling age-related muscle weakness and wasting: neuromuscular junction transmission as a driver of age-related physical decline” GeroScience (2021) DOI: 10.1007/s11357-021-00369-3
Molecular Biology & Pharmacology
The study of animal models is one of the foundational pillars of molecular biology research. Aurora Scientific understands that your animal model is unique, and that characterizing its molecular phenotype can be challenging. It is important that the mechanism of drug action be understood in order to comprehend complex tissue responses. We have the solutions to study gross whole body physiology or the function of specific muscles to make characterizing the response of your animal model to pharmaceuticals both precise and efficient.
Common Applications:
- knockout mouse function
- signaling and transduction pathways
- muscle regulatory proteins
- stretch-activated channels
Recent Publications:
- Bennett et al. “RNA helicase, DDX27 regulates skeletal muscle growth and regeneration by modulation of translational processes” PLoS Genetics (2018) DOI: 10.1371/journal.pgen.1007226
- Nogueira et al. “Cigarette smoke directly impairs skeletal muscle function through capillary regression and altered myofibre calcium kinetics in mice” The Journal of Physiology (2018) DOI: 10.1113/JP275888
- Ma et al. “Myosin Head Configurations in Resting and Contracting Murine Skeletal Muscle” Internation Journal of Molecular Sciences (2018) DOI: 10.3390/ijms19092643
General Muscle Physiology
Aurora Scientific produces transducers specially designed for measuring force, velocity, sarcomere length and other contractile properties in muscle. Integration with specially designed apparatus and software simplifies complex characterization of muscle properties. No matter what building block of muscle tissue you use as your model, from the myofibril to whole muscle groups and connective tissue, Aurora Scientific has a solution for you.
Common Applications:
- muscle contractile properties
- muscle architecture
- muscle metabolism
- fiber typing
- mechanical properties of muscle
Recent Publications:
- Corona et al. “Pharmacological Mitigation of Fibrosis in a Porcine Model of Volumetric Muscle Loss Injury” Tissue Engineering Part A (2020) DOI: 10.1089/ten.TEA.2019.0272
- Rivas-Pardo et al. “A HaloTag-TEV genetic cassette for mechanical phenotyping of proteins from tissues” Nature communications (2020) DOI: 10.1038/s41467-020-15465-9
- Richards & Eberhard “In vitro virtual reality: an anatomically explicit musculoskeletal simulation powered by in vitro muscle using closed-loop tissue–software interaction” Journal of Experimental Biology (2020) DOI: 10.1242/jeb.210054
Comparative Muscle Physiology
The study of how living things move and are shaped by their environment often requires specialized tools and assays. Aurora Scientific has proven instruments engineered to the highest standards of accuracy and precision to uncover the diverse functional characteristics of muscle in your unique animal models. Measure complex muscle contractile properties from leeches, zebrafish and even cheetahs with our diverse, high-performance muscle physiology equipment.
Common Applications:
- muscle energetics
- muscle morphology
- locomotion
- bio-inspiration
- invertebrate muscle
- amphibian muscle
- reptilian muscle
- mammalian muscle
Recent Publications:
- Olberding & Deban “Effects of temperature and force requirements on muscle work and power output” The Journal of Experimental Biology (2017) DOI: 10.1242/jeb.153114
- Klaiman, Jordan M. “Cold acclimation increases cardiac myofilament function and ventricular pressure generation in trout.” The Journal of Experimental Biology (2014) DOI: 10.1242/jeb.109041
- Klaiman, Jordan M. “Cold acclimation increases cardiac myofilament function and ventricular pressure generation in trout.” The Journal of Experimental Biology (2014) DOI: 10.1242/jeb.109041
Explore Muscle Physiology Content
Laryngeal Muscles in Development and Disease
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Biomechanical Properties of GI Smooth Muscle
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Treating Spinal-Muscle Conditions
Featured image courtesy of Bilchak et al. (2021). Spinal disruption can lead to serious conditions. Muscle-related issues can lead to spinal stiffness, pain or