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Two primary flight muscles of Rhinolophus mehelyii were studied using morphological and histochemical analysis. Two fast-twitch fiber types are histochemically identified in pectoralis muscles of R. mehelyii. These were classified as type IIa and type IIb according to glycine-calcium-formalinpreincubation staining protocol for myosin ATPase. The primary flight muscles, serratus ventralis included type I, type IIa and type IIb fibers. Type I fibers were highly oxidative, as stained dark for NADHTR.Type IIa fibers exhibited relatively weak staining properties for NADH-TR and SDH, indicating an intermediate oxidative capacity. Type IIb fibers showed low oxidative capacity, as indicated by weak reaction for NADH-TR.

Membrane structural changes of soleus muscle of alloxan-diabetic rats were detected with a panel of six biotinylated lectins. Samples of muscles were obtained from normal and diabetic rats. The biotinylatedlectins in staining were detected by avidin-peroxidase complex. Lectin stainning of soleus muscle cryostat sections from alloxan-diabetic rats were compared with similar cryostat sections from normalrats. All lectins were bounded to soleus muscle cell membranes of normal and diabetic rats except the Ulex europeus agglutinin I (UEA-I). UEA-I was not stained for cell membranes of soleus muscles ofnormal and diabetic rats. But intercellular areas of normal and diabetic soleus muscle were stained for UEA-I. Griffonia simplicifolia I (GS-I) lectin was bounded more strongly to cell membrane of diabetic ratsthan other lectins. Not only cell membranes but also cytoplasmic miyofibrills of diabetic muscle cells were stained by Griffonia simplicifolia (GS1) lectin. It was concluded that cell membranes of soleus muscle of diabetic rats were differently stained for lectins than those of normal rats. Our data can supplement on the use of lectins as probes for changes in carbohydrate-containing constituents of thealloxan-diabetic muscle cell membrane information obtained from normal and diabetic