Figure 3

Panel 1. Fiber size measurements in SMA I and III muscle sections, compared with normal age-matched muscle specimens. Portions of patient biopsies used for microarray experiments were sectioned and stained with haematoxylin and eosin. Diameters of sample fibers were obtained and atrophy/hypertrophy values were calculated by the methods described in the Additional file 2. Panel 2. Cross-sections of biopsies of quadriceps muscle of patients with SMA I (A) and SMA III (B) photographed at the same enlargement. Muscle from a patient with SMA I shows generalized fiber atrophy and few scattered hypertrophic fibres (asterisks; microscope magnification ×200). Muscle from a patient with SMA III shows groups of atrophic and normotrophic fibers (on the upper-right) and groups of large hypertrophied fibers (asterisks; microscope magnification ×200).