title: Effects of experimental radiation-induced hypomyelinating neuropathy on motor end-plates and neuromuscular transmission.
abstract: Morphological and physiological techniques were used to study the effects of radiation-induced hypomyelinating neuropathy on the innervation of skeletal muscle in the mouse. The right sciatic nerve was crushed focally and 3 days later the hind limb exposed to 20Gy X-rays. After reinnervation of original end-plate sites there was extensive formation of ultraterminal sprouts and of new end-plates characterized by small nerve terminals and rudimentary postsynaptic folds. In vitro examination of soleus nerve-muscle preparations showed reduced frequency of spontaneous miniature end-plate potentials and low quantal content of evoked potentials. The findings indicate that hypomyelinating neuropathy may cause reduction in quantal release of neurotransmitter.
mesh_terms: D000109:Acetylcholine / Q000378:metabolism; D000818:Animals; D004307:Dose-Response Relationship, Radiation; D004558:Electric Stimulation; D008564:Membrane Potentials / Q000528:radiation effects; D051379:Mice; D008854:Microscopy, Electron; D009045:Motor Endplate / Q000528:radiation effects*; D009119:Muscle Contraction / Q000528:radiation effects; D009132:Muscles / Q000294:innervation; D009186:Myelin Sheath / Q000528:radiation effects*; D009416:Nerve Regeneration / Q000528:radiation effects; D009469:Neuromuscular Junction / Q000528:radiation effects*; D012584:Sciatic Nerve / Q000528:radiation effects*; D013569:Synapses / Q000528:radiation effects; D009435:Synaptic Transmission / Q000528:radiation effects*
chemical_list: D000109:Acetylcholine