A progressive muscle atrophy is strongly associated with aging, resulting in lower quality of life in elderly individuals. This study was conducted to determine relative hemoglobin (Hb) concentrations in the rabbit model of the sciatic nerve transection injury using non-invasive diffuse optical spectroscopy (DOS). From the 2nd week to the end of the experiment after sciatic nerve injury, a total muscle mass in nerve injured-group (NI group) significantly reduced compared with that in the normal group (p<0.001). During the capillary occlusion after nerve injury, the deoxy-hemoglobin (Hb-R) concentration in NI group significantly increased compared to that in the normal group at the 2nd and 3rd week after sciatic nerve injury (p<0.05). During the capillary release after nerve injury, the oxy-hemoglobin (Hb-O2) concentration in NI group significantly decreased at the 1st and 3rd week, and Hb-R significantly increased at 2nd week, compared to those in the normal group (p<0.05). Histological changes in the gastrocnemius muscle of NI group observed that clear fat filled spaces at the periphery of muscle fibers and angular fibers. From the results of this study, non-invasive DOS could be used to measure changes of Hb concentrations in muscles.

This paper is a part of the series on positron annihilation spectroscopy of two-phase diffuse gas-and-dust aggregates, such as interstellar medium and the young remnants of type II supernovae. The results obtained from prior studies were applied here to detect the relationship between the processes of the annihilation of the K-shell electrons and incident positrons, and the effects of these processes on the optical spectra of their respective atoms. Particular attention was paid to the Doppler broadening of their optical lines. The relationship between the atomic mass of the elements and the Doppler broadening, ΔλD (Å), of their emission lines as produced in these processes was established. This relationship is also illustrated for isotope sets of light elements, namely 3 6 7 7 9 10 11 2 3 3 4 4 5 5 He, Li, Li, Be, Be, B, and B. A direct correlation between the γ-line luminosity ( Eγ =1.022 MeV) and D Δλ (Å) was proved virtually. Qualitative estimates of the structure of such lines depending on the positron velocity distribution function, f(E), were made. The results are presented in tabular form and can be used to set up the objectives of further studies on active galactic nuclei and young remnants of type II supernovae.