[Morphological characteristics of the motor neurons of the spinal cord in physical loading up to the limit].

The experiments have been performed on 98 white rats adapted and nonadapted to the effect of physical loadings. The loadings up to the limit are reached by swimming of the rats up to fatigue. The swimming lasts for 10-15, 20-35, 40-65, 70-90 h. Under the conditions mentioned, morphological changes of the neurons are of mosaic pattern. Light optic and electron microscopic methods demonstrate swelling of neurons, endocellular and pericellular edema, vacuolization, appearance of gigantic degeneratively altered mitochondria, presence of vesicles in mitochondria, hollow mitochondria, dilated cysterns of the endoplasmic reticulum, degenerated synapses and glial reaction. These changes are considered as adaptive and compensatory reactions in the process of physiological strain of the organism, directed towards increasing stability against the effect of the extermal factor. In the animals nonadapted to any physical loadings, morphological changes in neurons of the ventral horns of the spinal cord are more deeply and widely spread in character.