Summary
A local anaesthetic, methyl-bupivacaine was injected into the planta of adult mice, and the ultra-structure of motor end-plates was studied during the degenerative and regenerative cycle induced in lumbrical muscles. Muscle degeneration took place during the first day after drug administration. The postsynaptic part of the neuromuscular junction completely degenerated as did the whole injured muscle fibre. Nerve terminals, however, remained unaffected. By the second day after muscle injury, axon terminals were enclosed within Schwann cell cytoplasm and thus became separated from the residual sarcolemmal tube. One to three days later, when myotubes were formed by fusion of the surviving myoblasts, the layer of Schwann cell cytoplasm on nerve terminals was discontinuous. Subsequently nerve terminals approached the regenerating muscle cell and the subneural apparatus began to differentiate. Slight depressions and furrows appeared on the myotube surface below the nerve ending and the myotube membrane, covered with basement membrane, became undercoated by dense material in this region. Where the distance between nerve ending and myotube was reduced to that found in the normal neuromuscular junction, i.e. to about 500 Å, junctional folds were formed. Fourteen days after drug administration, newly formed end-plates were indistinguishable from those in normal control lumbrical muscles.
Similar content being viewed by others
References
Andersson-Cedergren, C. (1959) Ultrastructure of motor end-plate and sarcoplasmic components of mouse skeletal muscle fibre as revealed by three-dimensional reconstruction from serial sections.Journal of Ultrastructure Research 2, Supplement 1, 1–191.
Atwood, H. L., Luff, A. R., Morin, W. A. andSherman, R. G. (1971) Dense-cored vesicles at neuromuscular synapses of arthropods and vertebrates.Experientia 27, 816–7.
Bacchi, A. B. andSassu, G. (1973) On the fine structure of the motor end-plates during muscle regeneration inGongylus ocellatus.Acta Anatomica 85, 580–92.
Banker, B. Q. andGirvin, J. P. (1971) The ultrastructural features of the mammalian muscle spindle.Journal of Neuropathology and Experimental Neurology 30, 155–95.
Benoit, P. W. andBelt, P. (1970) Destruction and regeneration of skeletal muscle after treatment with a local anaesthetic, bupivacaine (Marcaine).Journal of Anatomy (London) 107, 547–56.
Couteaux, R. (1960) Motor end-plate structure. InThe structure and function of muscle, Volume I. Structure (edited byBourne, G. H.), pp. 337–80. Academic Press: New York and London.
Duchen, L. W. (1971) An electron microscopic study of the changes induced by botulinum toxin in the motor end-plates of slow and fast skeletal muscle fibres of the mouse.Journal of the Neurological Sciences 14, 47–60.
Buchen, L. W. (1973) The effects of tetanus toxin on the motor end-plates of the mouse: an electron microscopic study.Journal of the Neurological Sciences 19, 153–61.
Duchen, L. W., Excell, B. J., Patel, R. andSmith, B. (1974) Changes in motor end-plates resulting from muscle fibre necrosis and regeneration. A light and electron microscopic study of the effects of the depolarizing fraction (cardiotoxin) ofDendroaspis jamesoni venom.Journal of the Neurological Sciences 21, 391–417.
Düring, M. V. andAndres, K. H. (1969) Zur Feinstruktur der Muskelspindel von Mammalia.Anatomischer Anzeiger 124, 566–73.
Eränkö, O. andTeräväinen, H. (1967) Cholinesterases and eserine-resistant carboxylic esterases in degenerating and regenerating motor end-plates of the rat.Journal of Neurochemistry 14, 947–54.
Guth, L. andBrown, W. C. (1965) The sequence of changes in cholinesterase activity during reinnervation of muscle.Experimental Neurology 12, 329–36.
Gutmann, E. (1969) The trophic function of the nerve cell.Scientia 104, 1–20.
Gutmann, E. (1970) Open questions in the study of the ‘trophic’ function of the nerve cell. InCurrent Research in Neurosciences (ed.Wycis, H. T.), pp. 54–61. Karger: Basel.
Gutmann, E. andHník, P., eds.(1963) The effect of use and disuse on neuromuscular functions, pp. 1–576. Publishing House of the Czechoslovak Academy of Sciences: Prague.
Hennig, G. (1969) Die Nervenendingungen der Rattenmuskel-spindel in elektronen- und phasenkontrastmikroskopischen Bild.Zeitschrift für Zellforschung und mikroskopische Anatomie 91, 200–19.
Hirano, H. (1967) Ultrastructural study on the morphogenesis of the neuromuscular junction in the skeletal muscle of the chick.Zeitschrift für Zellforschung und mikroskopische Anatomie 79, 189–208.
Hsu, L. andLentz, T. L. (1973) Effect of colchicine on the fine structure of the neuromuscular junction.Zeitschrift für Zellforschung und mikroskopische Anatomie 135, 439–48.
James, D. W. andTresman, R. L. (1969) An electronmicroscopic study of thede novo formation of neuromuscular junctions in tissue cultures.Zeitschrift für Zellforschung und mikroskopische Anatomie 100, 126–40.
JirmanovÁ, I. andThesleff, S. (1972) Ultrastructural study of experimental muscle degeneration and regeneration in the adult rat.Zeitschrift für Zellforschung und mikroskopische Anatomie 131, 77–97.
Juntunen, J. (1973a) Effects of colchicine and vinblastine on neurotubules of the sciatic nerve and cholinesterases in the developing myoneural junction of the rat.Zeitschrift für Zellforschung und mikroskopische Anatomie 142, 193–204.
Juntunen, J. (1973b) Morphogenesis of the myoneural junctions after immobilization of the muscle in the rat.Zeitschrift für Entwicklungsgeschichte 143, 1–12.
Juntunen, J. andTeräväinen, H. (1973) Effect of prolonged nerve blockage on the development of the myoneural junction.Acta Physiologica scandinavica 87, 344–47.
Kelly, A. M. andZacks, S. I. (1969) The fine structure of motor end-plate morphogenesis.Journal of Cell Biology 42, 154–69.
Landon, D. N. (1972) The fine structure of the equatorial regions of developing muscle spindles in the rat.Journal of Neurocytology 1, 189–210.
Lentz, T. L. (1967) Fine structure of nerves in the regenerating limb of the newtTriturus.American Journal of Anatomy 121, 647–70.
Lentz, T. L. (1969a) Development of the neuromuscular junction. I. Cytological and cytochemical studies on the neuromuscular junction of differentiating muscle in the regenerating limb of the newtTriturus.Journal of Cell Biology 42, 431–43.
Lentz, T. L. (1969b) Vesicle and granule content of sympathetic ganglion cells during the limb regeneration of the newtTriturus.Zeitschrift für Zellforschung und mikroskopische Anatomie 102, 447–58.
Lentz, T. L. (1970) Development of the neuromuscular junction. II. Cytological and cytochemical studies on the neuromuscular junction of dedifferentiating muscle in the regenerating limb of the newtTriturus. Journal of Cell Biology47, 423–36.
Lentz, T. L. (1971) Nerve trophic function:In vitro assay of effects of nerve tissue on muscle cholinesterase activity.Science 171, 187–89.
Lentz, T. L. (1972) Development of the neuromuscular junction. III. Degeneration of the motor endplates after denervation and maintenancein vitro by nerve expiants.Journal of Cell Biology 55, 93–103.
Libelius, R., Sonesson, B., Stamenovič, B. A. andThesleff, S. (1970) Denervation-likechanges in skeletal muscle after treatment with a local anaesthetic (Marcaine).Journal of Anatomy (London) 106, 297–309.
Lülmann-Rauch, R. (1971) The regeneration of neuromuscular junctions during spontaneous reinnervation of the rat diaphragm.Zeitschrift für Zellforschung und mikroskopische Anatomie 121, 593–603.
Mayr, R. (1970) Zwei elektronenmikroskopisch unterscheid-bare Formen sekundärer sensorischer Endingungen in einer Muskelspindel der Ratte.Zeitschrift für Zellforschung und mikroskopische Anatomie 110, 97–107.
Mumenthaler, M. andEngel, W. K. (1961) Cytological localization of cholinesterase in developing chick embryo skeletal muscle.Acta Anatomica 47, 274–99.
Padykula, H. A. andGauthier, G. F. (1970) The ultrastructure of the neuromuscular junctions of mammalian red, white and intermediate skeletal muscle fibres.Journal of Cell Biology 46, 27–41.
Pappas, G. D., Peterson, E. R., Masurovsky, E. B. andCrain, S. M. (1971) Electron microscopy of thein vitro development of mammalian motor end-plates.Annals of the New York Academy of Sciences 183, 33–45.
Parker, G. H. (1932) On the trophic impulse, so-called, its rate and nature.American Naturalist 66, 147–58.
Pellegrino de Iraldi, A. andde Robertis, E. (1968) The neurotubular system of the axon and the origin of granulated and non-granulated vesicles in regenerating nerves.Zeitschrift für Zellforschung und mikroskopische Anatomie 87, 330–44.
Reger, J. F. (1957) The ultrastructure of normal and denervated neuromuscular synapses in mousegastrocnemius muscle.Experimental Cell Research 12, 662–5.
Robertson, J. D. (1956) The ultrastructure of a reptilian myoneural junction.Journal of Biophysical and Biochemical Cytology 2, 381–93.
Rumpelt, H. J. andSchmalbruch, H. (1969). Zur Morphologie der Bauelemente von Muskelspindeln bei Mensch und Ratte.Zeitschrift für Zellforschung undmikroskopische Anatomie 102, 601–30.
Singer, M. (1964) The trophic quality of the neuron. Some theoretical considerations.Progress in Brain Research 13, 228–32.
Smith, A. D. (1971) Summing up: Some implications of the neuron as a secreting cell.Philosophical Transactions of the Royal Society of London, Series B,261, 423–37.
Sokoll, M. D., Sonesson, B. andThesleff, S. (1968) Denervation changes produced in an innervated skeletal muscle by long-continued treatment with a local anaesthetic.European Journal of Pharmacology,4, 179–87.
Tennyson, V. M., Brzin, M. andSlotwiner, P. (1971) The appearance of acetylcholinesterase in the myotome of the embryonic rabbit. An electron microscopic, cytochemical and biochemical study.Journal of Cell Biology 51, 703–21.
Teräväinen, H. (1968) Development of the myoneural Junction in the rat.Zeitschrift für Zellforschung und mikroskopische Anatomie 87, 249–65.
Uehara, Y. (1973) Unique sensory endings in rat muscle spindles.Zeitschrift für Zellforschung und mikroskopische Anatomie 136, 511–20.
Zelená, J. (1957) Morphogenetic influence of innervation on the ontogenetic development of muscle spindles.Journal of Embryology and Experimental Morphology 5, 283–92.
Zelená, J. (1964) Development, degeneration and regeneration of receptor organs.Progress in Brain Research 13, 175–213.
Zelená, J. andSobotková, M. (1973) Ultrastructure of motor end-plates in slow and fast chicken muscles during development.Folia morphologica (Prague) 21, 144–45.
Zelená, J. andSoukup, T. (1973) Development of muscle spindles deprived of fusimotor innervation.Zeitschrift für Zellforschung und mikroskopische Anatomie 144, 435–52.
Zelená, J. andSzentägothai, J. (1957) Verlangerung der Lokalisation spezifische Cholinesterase während der Entwicklung der Muskelinnervation.Acta histochemica (Jena) 3, 284–96.
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Jirmanová, I. Ultrastructure of motor end-plates during pharmacologically-induced degeneration and subsequent regeneration of skeletal muscle. J Neurocytol 4, 141–155 (1975). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF01098779
Received:
Revised:
Accepted:
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF01098779