Weights, muscle strength measurements and histological analyses of sedentary and exercised VCP^R155H/+ and WT mice.

<p>(A) Weight measurements of WT and VCP^R155H/+ mice. (B) Muscle strength impairment observed by grip strength meter in SED VCP^R155H/+ knock-in as compared with uphill exercised littermates and WT mice. (C) Physical performance as demonstrated a decline by Rotarod analysis in the sedentary VCP^R155H/+ mice as compared with uphill exercised littermates and WT. Animal ages (months) (X axis) and relative values versus wild type littermates (Y axis). Statistically significant *<i>p</i><0.05, **<i>p</i><0.005, and ***<i>p</i><0.001 values denoted. (D) H&E staining of quadriceps muscle from 19-month-old sedentary WT (nuclei depicted by arrows) and (E) sedentary <i>VCP</i>^R155H/+ knock-in mice. There was a significant decrease in muscle mass with wide variation in muscle fiber size, central nuclei, split fibers and extensive fiber necrosis (arrows) observed in sedentary mice as compared to uphill exercised animals. (F) H&E staining of quadriceps muscle from 19-month-old uphill exercised and (G) VCP^R155H/+ animals. (H) H&E staining of quadriceps muscle from 19-month-old downhill exercised WT and (I) VCP^R155H/+ mice (Magnification: 630X). The number of animals used was n = 8–10/group.