Abnormalities of intramuscular nerves in old mice: an ultrastructural study.

Intramuscular branches of tibial nerves of 5- and 27-month-old mice were compared. Seventeen intramuscular nerve fascicles were studied in each group: 174 myelinated axons were evaluated in the young mice, and 136 in the aged mice. The old mice showed significant decreases in numbers of myelinated axons per nerve, and these had significant decreases in concentrations of mitochondria. Interaxonal collagen and numbers of collagen fibrils were increased, as was the concentration of unmyelinated axons. Myelinated axons of old mice demonstrated myelin disorganization, myelin nodules, degeneration of axoplasm and Schwann cells.