A comparison of shortening and Z line degradation in post-mortem bovine,porcine, and rabbit muscle

Ultrastructural changes in bovine, porcine, and rabbit muscle have been studied during the first 24 hours post-mortem. Samples were taken for phase and electron microscopy immediately after death, after 4, 8, and 24 hours of post-mortem storage at 2° and 37°C, and after 24 hours post-mortem at 16° and 25°C. The results show that two kinds of structural changes occur in muscle during the first 24 hours post-mortem: (a) a variable amount of shortening, this shortening occurring via a sliding of filaments in all species and at all post-mortem storage temperatures examined, and (b) degradation of the Z line, and at higher storage temperatures, of the M line also. Shortening of unrestrained muscle occurs soonest post-mortem at 37°C in all three species and is completed within four hours post-mortem in porcine and rabbit muscle and within eight hours post-mortem in bovine muscle. Post-mortem short-ening of unrestrained rabbit and porcine muscle is greatest at 37°C (sarcomere lengths of 1.5 μ); shortening of rabbit muscle is minimal at 2°C (sarcomere lenght of 1.7 μ), but shortening of porcine muscle is minimal at 25°C (sarcomere length of 1.8 μ) and is slightly greater at 2°C (sarcomere length of 1.6 μ) than at 16°C. Post-mortem shortening of bovine muscle is greatest at 2°C (sarcomere length of 1.3 μ), is minimal at 16–25°C (sarcomere length of 1.8 μ), and increases between 25–37°C (sarcomere length of 1.5 μ at 37°C). Sarcomere length measurements show that some variation occurs in the extent of post-mortem shortening within the same muscle. Z line degradation occurs sooner post-mortem and to a greater extent at storage temperatures of 25°C or above than at temperatures of 16°C or below. Also, bovine muscle Z lines are clearly more resistant to post-mortem degradation than porcine or rabbit muscle Z lines. Loss of fibrillar structure in porcine or rabbit muscle Z lines occurs during the first four hours post-mortem at 37°C, but eight hours of post-mortem storage at 37°C are required to cause loss of fibrillar structure of bovine muscle Z lines. After 24 hours at 25 or 37°C, Z lines of rabbit and porcine muscle are usually completely absent; M lines are also frequently absent in this muscle.