Homogenization versus homogenization-free method to measure muscle glycogen fractions

N. Mojibi, M. Rasouli

Department of Clinical Biochemistry and Immunogenetic Research Center, Faculty of Medicine, Mazandaran University of Medical Sciences, Mazandaran, Iran. mehdi.rasouli@yahoo.com

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• Metabolism

OBJECTIVE: The glycogen is extracted from animal tissues with or without homogenization using cold perchloric acid. Three methods were compared for determination of glycogen in rat muscle at different physiological states.

MATERIALS AND METHODS: Two groups of five rats were kept at rest or 45 minutes muscular activity. The glycogen fractions were extracted and measured by using three methods.

RESULTS: The data of homogenization method shows that total glycogen decreased following 45 min physical activity and the change occurred entirely in acid soluble glycogen (ASG), while AIG did not change significantly. Similar results were obtained by using “total-glycogen-fractionation methods”. The findings of “homogenization-free method” indicate that the acid insoluble fraction (AIG) was the main portion of muscle glycogen and the majority of changes occurred in AIG fraction.

CONCLUSIONS: The results of “homogenization method” are identical with “total glycogen fractionation”, but differ with “homogenization-free” protocol. The ASG fraction is the major portion of muscle glycogen and is more metabolically active form.

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