The Research on Oxidation Capacity of the Skeletal Muscle in Dauria Ground Squirrels(Spermophilus Dauricus) During Hibernation

• 1、Key Laboratory of Resource Biology and Biotechnology in Western China (Northwest University), Ministry of Education

Abstract：Objective: It was hypothesized that there was an mechanism of resisting muscle atrophy in dauria ground squirrels(Spermophilus Dauricus) .This assay was designed to study the mechanism by the measurement of the changes of myoglobin content and the activity of respiratory enzymes of the skeletal muscle. Methods: The ground squirrels were divided into seven groups: before hibernation, after 1 and 2 months of hibernation, after 2 and 14 days of arousal, spring group and summer group. Each group contained 8 animals. The content of citrate synthase, lactate dehydrogenase and myoglobin were measured by spectrophotometry. Results 1)The activity of citrate synthase and myoglobin content showed similar seasonal changes in soleus(SOL). In hibernation both of them were higher than that before hibernation and continued to increase after hibernation. The increase lasted to summer. Meanwhile the activity of the citrate synthase in extensor digitorum longus(EDL) decreased obviously after 2 days of arousal, then went up a little after 14 days of arousal, and came to normal in spring. Myoglobin content was almost the same during the different time in EDL. 2)There is no significant difference about the activity of lactate dehydrogenase in different season in SOL while it decreased significantly in the groups of before hibernation and hibernation in EDL. Conclusion:The extraordinary aerobic capacity is probably one of the important mechanism for its anti-atrophy. Myoglobin content and the activity of respiratory enzymes especially the aerobic ones are the key factor for the mechanism.

Keywords： zoology dauria ground squirrels muscle atrophy respiratory enzymes myoglobin hibernation