Wang Yong-Jun, Zhou Chong-Jian, Shi Qi, Smith Nathan, Li Tian-Fang
Institute of Spine, Shanghai University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Shanghai, China.
J Neurotrauma. 2007 May;24(5):885-94. doi: 10.1089/neu.2006.0156.
The present study investigated the effect of aging on muscle reinnervation in rats following a crush nerve injury. Using confocal laser scanning microscopy, we examined the spatial correlation of terminal Schwann cells (TSCs) or axon terminals with acetylcholine receptor (AChR) sites at neuromuscular junctions (NMJs). Compared to young rats (4 months of age), aged rats (24 months of age) demonstrated damaged TSC extensions and delayed regeneration. Post-injury endplate abnormalities in aged rats correlated with the degree of TSC degeneration. In the late stages of reinnervation, pathologic changes were seen in old rats, including multiple innervations, terminal sprouting, and poorly formed collateral innervation in NMJs. Our results suggest that the impaired TSC-axon interaction in aged rats delays the reinnervation process.
本研究调查了衰老对大鼠挤压性神经损伤后肌肉再支配的影响。利用共聚焦激光扫描显微镜，我们检测了神经肌肉接头（NMJ）处终末施万细胞（TSC）或轴突终末与乙酰胆碱受体（AChR）位点的空间相关性。与年轻大鼠（4月龄）相比，老年大鼠（24月龄）表现出TSC延伸受损和再生延迟。老年大鼠损伤后终板异常与TSC退变程度相关。在再支配后期，老年大鼠出现病理变化，包括多个神经支配、终末芽生以及NMJ处侧支神经支配形成不良。我们的结果表明，老年大鼠中TSC-轴突相互作用受损会延迟再支配过程。
