Paralysis of rat skeletal muscle equally affects contractile properties as does permanent denervation

The effects of long lasting (4-5 weeks) nerve conduction block and denervation were compared by investigating contractile, morphological and histochemical properties of slow (soleus) and fast (EDL) rat skeletal muscles. The block was based on improved perfusion techniques of the sciatic nerve with a...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Journal of muscle research and cell motility 1997-12, Vol.18 (6), p.683-695
Main Authors: Buffelli, M, Pasino, E, Cangiano, A
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Animals
Atrophy
Axons
Axons - drug effects
Axons - physiology
Denervation
Dose-Response Relationship, Drug
Electric Stimulation
Innervation
Male
Muscle contraction
Muscle Contraction - physiology
Muscle Denervation
Muscle, Skeletal - innervation
Muscle, Skeletal - pathology
Muscle, Skeletal - physiopathology
Muscular system
Nerve conduction
Paralysis
Paralysis - chemically induced
Paralysis - physiopathology
Perfusion
Potentiation
Proteins
Rats
Rats, Wistar
Reinnervation
Rodents
Sciatic nerve
Skeletal muscle
Tetanus
Tetrodotoxin
Tetrodotoxin - administration & dosage
Tetrodotoxin - toxicity
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Summary:The effects of long lasting (4-5 weeks) nerve conduction block and denervation were compared by investigating contractile, morphological and histochemical properties of slow (soleus) and fast (EDL) rat skeletal muscles. The block was based on improved perfusion techniques of the sciatic nerve with a tetrodotoxin (TTX) solution delivered at doses adequate to obtain maximal effects in the muscles. The TTX-inactivated axons retained normal histological and physiological properties such as the ability to evoke full contractile responses, to regenerate, and to completely reinnervate muscle. In spite of their intact innervation or of their full reinnervation, the TTX-paralysed muscles underwent weight loss, fibre atrophy and reduction in force, output quantitatively indistinguishable from those following denervation. The same was true for all other contractile parameters tested, that is, twitch speed, twitch to tetanus ratio, post-tetanic potentiation, endurance, and fibre type composition. The results indicate the fundamental role of activity as a regulatory signal for muscle contractile properties, while they do not support the notion of a participation of chemical, activity-independent factors in this regulation.
ISSN:0142-4319
1573-2657
DOI:10.1023/A:1018687923929