Submission Date

5-4-2020

Document Type

Paper- Restricted to Campus Access

Department

Biology

Adviser

April Carpenter

Committee Member

Jennifer King

Committee Member

Amanda Reig

Department Chair

Rebecca Lyczak

Project Description

Skeletal muscle injuries commonly occur during exercise and are usually in the form of a contusion or strain. These mechanical stressors lead to damaged contractile components and thus decrease the magnitude of force that the muscle is able to generate. Less force leads to the inability for the muscle to perform as efficiently as it once did. After the initial necrosis, the majority of muscular healing occurs due to an inflammatory response. Increased blood vessel permeability is observed, allowing plasma proteins and cells access to the injury. During inflammation, activation of neutrophils and macrophages occurs and leads to the cleanup of the injured site. Under the right conditions, muscle tissue can heal and strength can be returned. In order to assess the level of healing between different types of therapies and drug treatments, the amount of force a muscle can generate can be analyzed and used as a measure of muscle recovery. This study utilized an ex vivo procedure to measure muscular force in Mus musculus, a more accessible and affordable method compared to in situ assessment. We believe this will be a useful method for our future studies analyzing sex differences in muscle healing and exploring potential therapies to speed muscle regeneration.

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