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Morphogenesis of the myoneural junctions after immobilization of the muscle in the rat

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Summary

Immobilization of the tibialis anterior muscle of the newborn rat was caused by amputation of the hind limb at the talocrural joint. Subsequent muscular atrophy was measured by weighing the muscle and the myoneural morphogenesis in the disused muscle was studied in light and electron microscope. The acetylcholinesterase (AChE; E.C.3.1.1.7) and nonspecific cholinesterase (Ns. ChE; E.C.3.1.1.8) activity at the myoneural junction was followed histochemically.

It was observed that the myoneural morphogenesis proceeded normally in the immobilized and atrophied muscle. Cholinesterase activities at the developing myoneural junction were identical on both the immobilized and the contralateral control side.

The myoneural morphogenesis may be solely controlled by the nerve since, at the light of the present observations, the abnormally diminished function of the muscle seems to have no effect on the myoneural development.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Anatomy, University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland

    Juhani Juntunen

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  1. Juhani Juntunen
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Juntunen, J. Morphogenesis of the myoneural junctions after immobilization of the muscle in the rat. Z. Anat. Entwickl. Gesch. 143, 1–12 (1973). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00519906

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00519906

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