Long-term reinnervation effects after sciatic nerve lesions in adult rats

Transection of the sciatic nerve in adult rats induces drastic changes in hindleg muscles. Earlier, we demonstrated that the reinnervated soleus (SOL) muscle, 21 weeks after a transection mainly contains type II fibers. This is in striking contrast to normal muscle, which consists to 80% of type I m...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Annals of anatomy 2005-04, Vol.187 (2), p.113-120
Main Authors: IJkema-Paassen, Jos, Meek, Marcel F., Gramsbergen, Albert
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Animals
Female
Fiber-type distribution
Long term
Male
Muscle Denervation
Muscle, Skeletal - innervation
Nerve Fibers - physiology
Nerve Regeneration
Polyneural innervation
Rat
Rats
Reinnervation
Sciatic Nerve - anatomy & histology
Sciatic Nerve - physiology
Transplantation, Autologous
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Summary:Transection of the sciatic nerve in adult rats induces drastic changes in hindleg muscles. Earlier, we demonstrated that the reinnervated soleus (SOL) muscle, 21 weeks after a transection mainly contains type II fibers. This is in striking contrast to normal muscle, which consists to 80% of type I muscle fibers. Also we observed 13.9% of the fibers to be polyneurally innervated. The problem of the present study is whether these changes are reversible after longer survival periods. Therefore, the SOL was studied 60 weeks after transection and reconstruction by an autologous nerve graft. In six rats, we studied muscle fiber distributions by monoclonal antibodies, and innervation patterns by cholinesterase staining and AgNO 3 impregnation. Still at 60 weeks, only 20% of the muscle fibers are of type I and this is similar to results at 21 weeks, indicating that no recovery to the normal has been reached by that age. Furthermore, 20% of the endplates in the reinnervated SOL were polyneurally innervated, but we also observed this in 10% of the endplates on the control side. These increases, compared to data at 21 weeks, are interpreted as an aging effect.
ISSN:0940-9602
1618-0402
DOI:10.1016/j.aanat.2004.11.001