Time course of sprouting during muscle reinnervation in vitamin E-deficient rats.

A typical aspect of motoneuron plasticity is the sprouting which occurs during muscle reinnervation, resulting in a transitory multiple innervation of the muscle cells. In order to verify the effect of a decreased protection from free radical attack on the sprouting, the multiple innervation in the extensor digitorum longus muscle, following sciatic nerve crush and regeneration, was studied in vitamin E-deficient rats. Thus, the innervated end-plates and the end-plates with multiple innervation were studied with histochemical and electrophysiological techniques. The percentage of innervated end-plates was similar in both groups at 30 as well as at 60 days after nerve crush. Nevertheless, multiple innervation was found in a larger part of the muscle and it lasted longer in the deficient rats. This finding is discussed in relation to some of the major hypotheses of sprouting; it may be relevant in the treatment of some lesions of peripheral nerve.