Premium
Repeated stimulation of the dystrophic mouse neuromuscular junctions
Author(s) -
Tremblay Jacques P.,
Grégoire Laurent,
Sasseville Rachelle,
Belhumeur Celine
Publication year - 1987
Publication title -
muscle and nerve
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.025
H-Index - 145
eISSN - 1097-4598
pISSN - 0148-639X
DOI - 10.1002/mus.880100405
Subject(s) - stimulation , vesicle , neuromuscular junction , synaptic vesicle , endocrinology , significant difference , muscular dystrophy , medicine , biology , ultrastructure , anatomy , chemistry , membrane , neuroscience , biochemistry
Morphometric changes produced by repeated stimulation of the neuromuscular junctions (NMJs) have been studied by electron microscopy in 769 profiles of normal, heterozygous dystrophic, and dystrophic mice. The study indicates that in animals not stimulated but anesthetized for 40 min, there is no significant difference in the profile area between the normal, the heterozygous dystrophic, and dystrophic mice. There is also no significant difference between these three groups in the number of clear vesicles and of coated vesicles per m̈m 2 of terminal. Following stimulation , the profile area of NMJs is not significantly increased in the normal and in the heterozygous dystrophic mice. However, the profile area is increased by 50% in the dystrophic animals. This is perhaps due to changes in the shape of the nerve terminal in stimulated dystrophic animals. However, the number of the clear vesicles per m̈m 2 is significantly reduced to a similar extent in the three groups. These results indicate that the recycling of vesicular membrane is normal in dystrophic animals.