Type IV collagen and laminin in slow and fast skeletal muscle in rats--effects of age and life-time endurance training.

The changes in the biochemical composition of basement membrane (BM) in slow-twitch (m. soleus, MS) and fast-twitch (m. rectus femoris, MRF) skeletal muscles of rats were studied during aging and life-time endurance training (treadmill running). The concentrations of the 7S domain of type IV collagen and of the P2 fragment of laminin were determined with radioimmunoassays in the muscles of rats aged 1, 2, 4, 10, and 24 months. The concentration of type IV collagen was higher in MS than in MRF and increased significantly with age. At older ages, the concentration tended to be higher in the MS of trained than untrained rats. The concentration of laminin was significantly higher in MRF than in…