title: Effects of 9 weeks of hindlimb unloading on motor performances in adult rats.
abstract: It has been reported that abnormal steps associated with an ankle hyper-extension during walking were observed in adult rats after 2 weeks of hindlimb suspension (Canu and Falempin, 1997 & 1998). But such phenomena were normalized after 7 days of reambulation recovery. Canu and Falempin (1996) suggested that the spinal cord has a capacity to generate a well-organized pattern of locomotion even after a period of muscle disuse. There are, however, no reports about the effects of more prolonged suspension on motor performances. In the present study, 7 weeks old male rats were hindlimb-unloaded by tail suspension for 9 consecutive weeks and landing performances in response to drop from head-down, head-up, or supine position were investigated during 8 weeks of recovery. Posture maintenance during right-left translation was also checked.
authors.affiliation: Dept. Physiol. Biomech., NIFS, Kanoya, Japan.
authors.forename: F
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Kawano
authors.forename: T
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Nomura
authors.forename: M S
authors.initials: MS
authors.lastname: Kang
authors.forename: J H
authors.initials: JH
authors.lastname: Lee
authors.forename: E Y
authors.initials: EY
authors.lastname: Han
authors.forename: Y C
authors.initials: YC
authors.lastname: Chiu
authors.forename: Y
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Sato
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Ishihara
authors.forename: Y
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Ohira
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D006614:Hindlimb / Q000502:physiology; D019417:Hindlimb Suspension; D008124:Locomotion; D008297:Male; D018482:Muscle, Skeletal / Q000502:physiology*; D011187:Posture; D051381:Rats; D017208:Rats, Wistar; D013643:Tarsus, Animal / Q000502:physiology