Reduction of postjunctional fold density and depth in dystrophic mice.

A total of 769 neuromuscular junction profiles (on 221 muscle fibers) from 21 normal (C57BL/6J +/+), 6 heterozygous (C57BL/6J dy2J/+) and 22 homozygous dystrophic (C57BL/6J dy2J/dy2J) gastrocnemius were photographed in electron microscopy. The fast and slow twitch muscle fibers were differentiated by the width of the Z lines. The number of secondary postjunctional folds per unit length of synaptic cleft was lower in dystrophic than in normal animals. Intermediate values were obtained in heterozygous animals. The length of the postsynaptic membrane was measured and normalized by dividing it by the length of the cross-section through the synaptic cleft. This normalized length of postjunctional membrane was significantly reduced by 45% in dystrophic animals relative to normal animals and by 41% relative to heterozygous animals. The depth of the secondary folds was also significantly reduced in dystrophic animals relative to normal animals in both fast and slow twitch fibers. These morphometric changes of the postjunctional membrane were observed on NMJs whose nerve terminals were not significantly modified by the dystrophic process and were sometimes observed on apparently normal muscle fibers.