Denervated fast-twitch rabbit muscles were progressively losing their fresh weight and the yield of sarcotubular protein was increasing. The activity of Ca(2+)-ATPase was affected but very slightly, the basal Mg(2+)-ATPase and the Mg(2+)-ATPase/Ca(2+)-ATPase ratio however increased together with a simultaneous depression of the membrane-bound acetylcholinesterase activity. We did not observe any differences in density properties of sarcotubular fractions between control and denervated muscle. However, a relative enrichment in SM and H fraction could be seen after denervation with small changes in the content of the Ca(2+)-pump protein, increased levels of calsequestrin and cholesterol, mostly in the heavy and the SM fraction. After denervation the binding sites for 3H-PN-200-110 did not show any changes in receptor affinity, but the number of putative Ca(2+)-channels increased twice along with a depression of 3H-ouabain binding sites. We suggest that the denervation of fast-twitch muscle leads to the hypertrophy of the junctional sarcoplasmic reticulum and the T-system. Changes in the cholesterol content, in the number of putative Ca(2+)-channels and in Na+, K(+)-ATPase can affect the muscle contraction.

Department of Biochemistry Comenius University Medical School Martin Czechoslovakia