Muscle Reinnervation (muscle + reinnervation)

Distribution by Scientific Domains


Selected Abstracts


Activity alters muscle reinnervation and terminal sprouting by reducing the number of schwann cell pathways that grow to link synaptic sites

DEVELOPMENTAL NEUROBIOLOGY, Issue 4 2003
Flora M. Love
Abstract In partially denervated rodent muscle, terminal Schwann cells (TSCs) located at denervated end plates grow processes, some of which contact neighboring innervated end plates. Those processes that contact neighboring synapses (termed "bridges") appear to initiate nerve terminal sprouting and to guide the growth of the sprouts so that they reach and reinnervate denervated end plates. Studies conducted prior to knowledge of this potential involvement of Schwann cells showed that direct muscle stimulation inhibits terminal sprouting following partial denervation (Brown and Holland, 1979). We have investigated the possibility this inhibition results from an alteration in the growth of TSC processes. We find that stimulation of partially denervated rat soleus muscle does not alter the length or number of TSC processes but does reduce the number of TSC bridges. Stimulation also reduces the number of TSC bridges that form between end plates during reinnervation of a completely denervated muscle. The nerve processes ("escaped fibers") that normally grow onto TSC processes during reinnervation are also reduced in length. Therefore, stimulation alters at least two responses to denervation in muscles: (1) the ability of TSC processes to form or maintain bridges with innervated synaptic sites, and (2) the growth of axons along processes extended by TSCs. © 2003 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Neurobiol 54: 566,576, 2003 [source]


Thyroid hormone enhances transected axonal regeneration and muscle reinnervation following rat sciatic nerve injury

JOURNAL OF NEUROSCIENCE RESEARCH, Issue 8 2010
Petrica-Adrian Panaite
Abstract Improvement of nerve regeneration and functional recovery following nerve injury is a challenging problem in clinical research. We have already shown that following rat sciatic nerve transection, the local administration of triiodothyronine (T3) significantly increased the number and the myelination of regenerated axons. Functional recovery is a sum of the number of regenerated axons and reinnervation of denervated peripheral targets. In the present study, we investigated whether the increased number of regenerated axons by T3-treatment is linked to improved reinnervation of hind limb muscles. After transection of rat sciatic nerves, silicone or biodegradable nerve guides were implanted and filled with either T3 or phosphate buffer solution (PBS). Neuromuscular junctions (NMJs) were analyzed on gastrocnemius and plantar muscle sections stained with rhodamine ,-bungarotoxin and neurofilament antibody. Four weeks after surgery, most end-plates (EPs) of operated limbs were still denervated and no effect of T3 on muscle reinnervation was detected at this stage of nerve repair. In contrast, after 14 weeks of nerve regeneration, T3 clearly enhanced the reinnervation of gastrocnemius and plantar EPs, demonstrated by significantly higher recovery of size and shape complexity of reinnervated EPs and also by increased acetylcholine receptor (AChRs) density on post synaptic membranes compared to PBS-treated EPs. The stimulating effect of T3 on EP reinnervation is confirmed by a higher index of compound muscle action potentials recorded in gastrocnemius muscles. In conclusion, our results provide for the first time strong evidence that T3 enhances the restoration of NMJ structure and improves synaptic transmission. © 2010 Wiley-Liss, Inc. [source]


Timing of Human Insulin-Like Growth Factor-1 Gene Transfer in Reinnervating Laryngeal Muscle,

THE LARYNGOSCOPE, Issue 4 2004
Hideki Nakagawa MD
Abstract Objectives/Hypothesis The authors have designed a rat laryngeal paralysis model to study gene transfer strategies using a muscle-specific expression system to enhance local delivery of human insulin-like growth factor-1 (hIGF-1). In preliminary studies, a nonviral vector containing the ,-actin promoter and human hIGF-1 sequence produced both neurotrophic and myotrophic effects 1 month after single injection of plasmid formulation into paralyzed rat thyroarytenoid muscle in vivo. Based on these findings, it is hypothesized that the effects of hIGF-1 will enhance the results of laryngeal muscle innervation procedures. The timing of gene delivery relative to nerve repair is likely to be important, to optimize the results. Study Design Prospective analysis. Methods The effects of nonviral gene transfer for the delivery of hIGF-1 were evaluated in rats treated immediately following recurrent laryngeal nerve transection and repair and in rats receiving a delayed treatment schedule, 30 days after nerve transection and repair. Gene transfer efficiency was determined using polymerase chain reaction and reverse transcriptase,polymerase chain reaction techniques. Muscle fiber diameter, motor endplate length, and percentage of motor endplates with nerve contact were examined to assess hIGF-1 trophic effects. Results Compared with reinnervated untreated control samples, both early and delayed hIGF-1 transfer resulted in significant increase in muscle fiber diameter. Motor endplate length was significantly decreased and nerve/motor endplate contact was significantly increased following delayed gene transfer, but not after early treatment. Conclusion We infer from results of the study that delayed hIGF-1 gene transfer delivered by a single intramuscular injection will enhance the process of muscle reinnervation. The clinical relevance of these findings supports the future application of gene therapy using nonviral vectors for management of laryngeal paralysis and other peripheral nerve injuries. [source]


Morphologic Correlates for Laryngeal Reinnervation,

THE LARYNGOSCOPE, Issue 11 2001
Richard R. Gacek MD
Abstract Objective To describe morphologic correlates for laryngeal reinnervation. Study Design Review of anatomic experiments dealing with laryngeal innervation performed over a 25-year period. Methods Description of results from experimental studies on the cat and human laryngeal muscles and nerve supply. Results Despite separation of abductor and adductor laryngeal motor neurons in the central nervous system, the mixture of abductor and adductor axons in the recurrent laryngeal nerve indicates that selective re-innervation of an individual laryngeal muscle must be accomplished at the neuromuscular junction (NMJ) of the muscle. The optimal time for a reinnervating neural source to re-occupy vacated NMJ is at the time of denervation. If the reinnervation procedure is attempted long (>1 mo) after denervation, extraneous end plates of other neural systems must be eliminated to provide vacant NMJ. The nerve muscle pedicle (NMP) concept is an effective model for reinnervation of a laryngeal muscle provided its activity pattern is similar to that of the denervated muscle and its insertion into vacated NMJ is timely. Conclusion NMP offers a logical method for selective laryngeal muscle reinnervation. Critical to the success of NMP are the physiological input to the NMP and timing of NMP implantation. [source]