title: Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis: serum factors enhance spontaneous and evoked transmitter release at the neuromuscular junction.
abstract: Sera from 30 patients with sporadic amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) were tested to determine their effects at the neuromuscular junction. Spontaneous transmitter release was significantly increased, as evidenced by a 151% increase in MEPP frequency, by sera from 16 ALS patients. In addition, 16 patients' sera elevated EEP quantal content by an average of 89%. Eleven sera produced both effects. There was no consistent change in MEPP amplitude or time course, indicating the absence of a humoral effect on postjunctional ACh receptors or endplate membrane function. These results suggest that a portion of the sporadic ALS patient population possess serum factors that can alter presynaptic function of the motor nerve terminal. Evidence from the present experiments indicates that alterations at the neuromuscular junction are a result of a combination of increased Ca2+ influx into the cell and an independent increase in intracellular calcium concentration.
authors.affiliation: Department of Biomedical Engineering, University of Virginia School of Medicine, Charlottesville 22908, USA.
authors.forename: T J
authors.initials: TJ
authors.lastname: O'Shaughnessy
authors.forename: H
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Yan
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Kim
authors.forename: E H
authors.initials: EH
authors.lastname: Middlekauff
authors.forename: K W
authors.initials: KW
authors.lastname: Lee
authors.forename: L H
authors.initials: LH
authors.lastname: Phillips
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Kim
authors.forename: Y I
authors.initials: YI
authors.lastname: Kim
mesh_terms: D000690:Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis / Q000097:blood* / Q000503:physiopathology; D000818:Animals; D001769:Blood; D002118:Calcium / Q000494:pharmacology; D003964:Diaphragm / Q000294:innervation; D005071:Evoked Potentials / Q000187:drug effects; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008274:Magnesium / Q000494:pharmacology; D008297:Male; D008564:Membrane Potentials / Q000187:drug effects; D051379:Mice; D008813:Mice, Inbred ICR; D009469:Neuromuscular Junction / Q000502:physiology*; D018377:Neurotransmitter Agents / Q000378:metabolism*; D010791:Phrenic Nerve / Q000502:physiology; D012016:Reference Values
chemical_list: D018377:Neurotransmitter Agents; D008274:Magnesium; D002118:Calcium