Motor nerve sprouting and acetylcholine receptors.
Sprouting of motor nerve terminals was evoked by functional denervation of skeletal muscles brought about by presynaptic blockade or disuse. The amount of sprouting, determined by morphometric measurement, was correlated with the level of extrajunctional acetylcholine receptors. Sprouting was inhibited by blockade of acetylcholine receptors with alpha-bungarotoxin. Extrajunctional acetylcholine receptors may play an important role in eliciting motor nerve terminal sprouting.
D000109:Acetylcholine / Q000378:metabolism; D000818:Animals; D001905:Botulinum Toxins / Q000494:pharmacology; D002038:Bungarotoxins / Q000494:pharmacology*; D005260:Female; D009046:Motor Neurons / Q000502:physiology*; D009121:Muscle Denervation; D009411:Nerve Endings / Q000502:physiology / Q000648:ultrastructure; D009431:Neural Conduction / Q000187:drug effects; D009469:Neuromuscular Junction / Q000502:physiology*; D051381:Rats; D011950:Receptors, Cholinergic / Q000187:drug effects / Q000502:physiology*; D009435:Synaptic Transmission / Q000187:drug effects; D013779:Tetrodotoxin / Q000494:pharmacology
D002038:Bungarotoxins; D011950:Receptors, Cholinergic; D013779:Tetrodotoxin; D001905:Botulinum Toxins; D000109:Acetylcholine