Influence of the delay of denervation on slow striated muscle resistance to slow-to-fast conversion following cross-innervation.
Cross-reinnervation, in cases of nerve repair or nerve transfer, can be the consequence of wrong connections which are surgically induced between the different types of motoneurons (fast and slow). A slow muscle nerve is able to convert a fast muscle virtually completely to the slow fibre type, whereas a fast muscle nerve exerts an incomplete control over the properties of a slow muscle. Our experiments show that following delayed cross-reinnervation, a statistically significant slow-to-fast transformation of the soleus muscle was observed, with a maximum when nerve repair was performed 6 weeks following nerve section in the rat model. Thus, the negative consequences on nerve and muscle relationship due to cross-reinnervation in the case of wrong connections between slow and fast motoneurons after conventional nerve suture or in the case of nerve transfer could be minimised by imposing a delay before nerve repair.
Chammas
M
M
Department of Orthopaedic and Hand Surgery, Lapeyronie Hospital, Montpellier, France.
Coulet
B
B
Micallef
J P
JP
Prefaut
C
C
Allieu
Y
Y
D000818:Animals; D008297:Male; D008866:Microsurgery; D009046:Motor Neurons / Q000502:physiology*; D009121:Muscle Denervation; D018485:Muscle Fibers, Skeletal / Q000502:physiology*; D018482:Muscle, Skeletal / Q000294:innervation* / Q000601:surgery; D016067:Nerve Transfer; D009469:Neuromuscular Junction / Q000502:physiology; D010525:Peripheral Nerves / Q000601:surgery; D051381:Rats; D017208:Rats, Wistar; D013997:Time Factors