title: Muscle spindle reinnervation following phenol block.
abstract: Infusion of phenol into peripheral nerves is used clinically to manage spasticity. It produces relief of symptoms by chemical denervation. We simulated the clinical procedure by bathing the lateral plantar nerve of rats in 7% phenol solution for 20 min. We studied the innervation of muscle spindles in the plantar lumbrical muscles of untreated rats and in rats 4 and 6 weeks after a single phenol block. Spindles were identified by the immunoreactivity of nuclear bag(1) fibers to slow tonic myosin (antibody ALD 19). The integrity of the sensory and motor reinnervation of spindles was evaluated using a monoclonal antibody specific for a high molecular weight neurofilament protein. Four weeks after phenol block, muscle spindles were difficult to find, as their immunoreactivity to antibody ALD 19 was reduced. In those spindles studied, most (>80%) were completely denervated. The remainder of which were innervated by afferents only. None received efferent (gamma) innervation. After 6 weeks, spindles were readily identified and nearly all (>90%) received recognizable afferent innervation. A much smaller number (38%) received gamma innervation. Phenol block thus results in a complete denervation of muscle spindles, followed by a fairly rapid sensory reinnervation. Reinnervation by gamma motor neurons is either incomplete or significantly delayed.
authors.affiliation: Department of Cell Biology, Emory University School of Medicine, Atlanta, GA 30322, USA.
authors.forename: J H
authors.initials: JH
authors.lastname: Wolf
authors.forename: A W
authors.initials: AW
authors.lastname: English
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001340:Autonomic Nerve Block; D006614:Hindlimb / Q000294:innervation; D007150:Immunohistochemistry; D009470:Muscle Spindles / Q000737:chemistry / Q000378:metabolism*; D018482:Muscle, Skeletal / Q000294:innervation* / Q000378:metabolism; D018995:Myosin Heavy Chains / Q000032:analysis; D009416:Nerve Regeneration; D016900:Neurofilament Proteins / Q000032:analysis; D009475:Neurons, Afferent / Q000502:physiology; D009476:Neurons, Efferent / Q000502:physiology; D019800:Phenol; D051381:Rats; D013997:Time Factors
chemical_list: D016900:Neurofilament Proteins; D019800:Phenol; D018995:Myosin Heavy Chains