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Age-related Differences in Synaptic Plasticity Following Muscle Unloading by Michael R. Deschenes; Meredith H. Wilson is a Neuroscience article available to read on EtoBox.

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## Abstract The objective of the present investigation was to determine the effects of muscle unloading—a form of subtotal disuse— on the morphology of the neuromuscular junction (NMJ) in younger and aged animals. Sixteen aged (22 months) and 16 young adult (8 months) male Fischer 344 rats were assigned to control and hindlimb suspension (HS) conditions (__n__ = 8/group). At the conclusion of the 4 week experimental period, soleus muscles were collected, and immunofluorescent procedures were used to visualize acetylcholine (ACh) vesicles and receptors, nerve terminal branching, as well as NCAM and NT‐4 expression. Quantitative analyses revealed that aged controls displayed significant (__p__ young controls). Among the four groups, however, the greatest amount of NCAM content was detected among aged HS muscles, matching the degree of synaptic plasticity exhibited in those muscles. Unlike NCAM, the expression of NT‐4 did not appear to differ among the treatment groups. These data suggest that although young adult muscle maintains normal NMJ structure during prolonged exposure to unloading, aged NMJs experience significant adaptation to that stimulus. © 2003 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

Who reads Age-related Differences in Synaptic Plasticity Following Muscle Unloading?

Author

Michael R. Deschenes; Meredith H. Wilson

Publisher

John Wiley and Sons; Wiley (John Wiley & Sons); John Wiley & Sons Inc.; Wiley (ISSN 0022-3034)

Published

2003

Language

EN

Field

Neuroscience (Life Sciences)