The effects of food deprivation on protein turnover and nucleic acid concentrations of active and immobilized extensor digitorum longus muscles of the rat.

Deprivation of food caused significant changes in the weight, protein content, protein turnover and RNA concentrations of the extensor digitorum longus muscle. Simultaneous immobilization to render the muscle inactive did not make the tissue any more susceptible to the effects of starvation. In contrast, immobilization in a stretched state resulted in less muscle wasting after deprivation of food.