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Post-tetanic Potentiation of Twitch Contractions of Cross-innervated Rat Fast and Slow Muscles

Abstract

A BRIEF period of repetitive stimulation causes transitory post-tetanic potentiation (PTP) of the isometric twitch contractions of mammalian fast skeletal muscles whereas there is a depression in the response of slow muscles1–7. We have investigated the possibility that this difference between fast and slow muscles is under neural control using the method of operative cross-union of motor nerves which has been employed previously in investigations into neural influences on various properties of skeletal muscles8–15. The after-effects of repetitive stimulation on isometric twitch contractions have been determined for fast extensor digitorum longus (EDL) and slow soleus (SOL) muscles of the rat hind limb and the results compared with those obtained for cross-innervated and self-innervated EDL and SOL muscles.

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CLOSE, R., HOH, J. Post-tetanic Potentiation of Twitch Contractions of Cross-innervated Rat Fast and Slow Muscles. Nature 221, 179–181 (1969). https://doi.org/10.1038/221179a0

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