Succinate dehydrogenase activities of fibers in the rat extensor digitorum longus, soleus, and cardiac muscles.

Succinate dehydrogenase (SDH) activities and cross-sectional areas (CSAs) of different types of fibers in the superficial (EDLs) and deep (EDLd) regions of the extensor digitorum longus and soleus (SOL) muscles and the left ventricular muscle of the heart (HEART) of 10-week-old male rats were determined using quantitative histochemistry and a computer-assisted image processing system. The fibers were classified as type I, type IIA, type IIB, or type IIC according to their histochemically assessed adenosine triphosphatase activities. The mean SDH activity was higher and the mean CSA was smaller in type IIA fibers than in type IIB fibers in both the EDLs and EDLd. The mean SDH activity of type IIA fibers in the SOL was higher than that of type I fibers. Fibers in the HEART showed the highest mean SDH activity and the smallest mean CSA among all fiber types in the muscles examined. There was an inverse correlation between CSA and SDH activity for the different fiber types in different muscles. These data suggest that the SDH activity of fibers in muscle is fiber type- and size-specific, and that the highest SDH activity of fibers in the left ventricular muscle of the heart contributes to their functional properties, i.e., high fatigue resistance.