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Age changes in cross striated muscle of the rat
Author(s) -
Gutmann E.,
Hanzlíková V.,
Vyskočil F.
Publication year - 1971
Publication title -
the journal of physiology
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.802
H-Index - 240
eISSN - 1469-7793
pISSN - 0022-3751
DOI - 10.1113/jphysiol.1971.sp009528
Subject(s) - denervation , atrophy , anatomy , contraction (grammar) , ultrastructure , neuromuscular junction , fragmentation (computing) , chemistry , biology , medicine , neuroscience , endocrinology , ecology
1. Senile muscle atrophy is characterized by a marked reduction in the frequency of spontaneous transmitter release with no electrophysiological evidence of denervation. 2. In spite of the reduced number of muscle fibres, there is no ultrastructural evidence for denervation at the end‐plates. There is agglutination of synaptic vesicles, neurotubules and filaments, thickening of the basement membrane, widening of the primary synaptic cleft, and irregular branching of the junctional infoldings, but no axonal degeneration. 3. The contractile process in senile muscles is slowed down as is indicated by a prolongation of contraction time, latency period, maximum rate of twitch tension and relaxation time. 4. The muscle fibres show proliferation of the T system and increased SR but no fragmentation as is observed in denervation atrophy. 5. Senile muscle atrophy thus presents some specific features affecting both pre‐ and post‐synaptic structures, related to a very slow process of deterioration of the neuromuscular contact.