title: Dynamic and static sensitivities of muscle spindle primary endings in aged rats to ramp stretch.
abstract: Responses of the presumed primary sensory endings of de-efferented muscle spindles to a ramp stretch were investigated in the medial gastrocnemius muscle of male Fischer 344 rats of two age groups (i.e. 10-14 and 28-30 months) anesthetized with urethane and chloralose. The static sensitivity was similar for both middle-aged and aged rats, although the discharge frequency was lower for aged rats when compared at the same muscle length. The value of the dynamic index was significantly lower in aged rats than in middle-aged rats, suggesting a decrease in the dynamic sensitivity of muscle spindle primary endings in aged rats.
authors.affiliation: Department of Central Nervous System, Tokyo Metropolitan Institute of Gerontology, Japan.
authors.forename: T
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Miwa
authors.forename: Y
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Miwa
authors.forename: K
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Kanda
mesh_terms: D000375:Aging / Q000502:physiology*; D000818:Animals; D008297:Male; D009121:Muscle Denervation; D009470:Muscle Spindles / Q000502:physiology*; D018482:Muscle, Skeletal / Q000294:innervation / Q000502:physiology*; D009411:Nerve Endings / Q000502:physiology*; D009475:Neurons, Afferent / Q000502:physiology; D051381:Rats; D011916:Rats, Inbred F344; D012026:Reflex, Stretch / Q000502:physiology*