[Morphological characteristics of the changes in the skeletal muscle tissue in acute experimental ischemia of the extremities].

A comprehensive morphological study of the ischemic skeletal muscles of the limbs was performed in experiments on dogs. Ischemia of the muscle tissue was induced by artificial embolic occlusion of the terminal part of the aorta. A quantitative functional and morphological study revealed serious disturbances in metabolism of the skeletal muscle that was subjected to a 6-hour ischemia. Depression of aerobic metabolism, ineffectiveness of anaerobic glycolysis (a spare pathway of the synthesis of macroergic substances), a dramatic lowering of ATPase activity, and activation of acid phosphatase in experiments of such a duration are important signs of a probably compromised adaptation process and irreversibility of the lesions in the tissue. The data should be taken into consideration in determining the optimal periods of the blood flow recovery in the limbs. Morphological changes in muscle fibers under ischemia progress with an increase in the experiment duration (up to 9 and 12 h). An important morphological sign of ischemia is a disturbed typification of muscle fibers.