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The fine structure of de- and reinnervated muscle spindles

I. The increase, atrophy and ‘hypertrophy’ of intrafusal muscle fibers

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Summary

Reinnervated muscle spindles in lower lumbrical muscles of rats studied 17 days to 24 months after crushing the sciatic nerve showed a series of alterations which have not been analysed, thus far, by electron microscopy. There was a striking increase of the number of intrafusal muscle fibers seen in approximately 20% of reinnervated spindles. These spindles showed 5–11 intrafusal muscle fibers whereas normal spindles usually contained 3–4 fibers only.

New intrafusal muscle fibers originated by splitting from pre-existing ones, or by maturation from satellite cells which were numerous in normal as well as in reinnervated spindles. The increase of the number of intrafusal muscle fibers was caused by denervation rather than reinnervation since a similar increase in the number of intrafusal muscle fibers was also seen in some denervated spindles after prevention of reinnervation. An additional proliferation of intrafusal Schwann cells resulted from Wallerian degeneration of intrafusal nerve fibers.

Dense bodies and flecked vesicles were repeatedly noted in intrafusal muscle fibers. Myofibrillar abnormalities were present in some newly formed muscle fibers late after the lesion. Atrophy of intrafusal muscle fibers was rarely encountered. Atrophic fibers were filled with flecked vesicles or small mitochondria. ‘Hypertrophy’ of intrafusal muscle fibers was suggestive in only two fibers of 125 reinnervated muscle spindles. It could not be exclded that ‘hypertrophy’ resulted from erroneous alpha- or beta-motor innervation of intrafusal muscle fibers by aberrant regeneration of nerve fibers normally innervating extrafusal muscle fibers. Most reinnervated spindles, however, had a normal appearance in the plane of section studied.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Neuropathology Department of the Max-Planck-Institute for Brain Research, Frankfurt a. M.

    J. Michael Schröder

  2. Neurological Institute (Edinger Institute) of the Johann Wolfgang Goethe-University, Frankfurt a. M.

    J. Michael Schröder

  3. Abteilung für Neuropathologie Pathologisches Institut der Johannes Gutenberg-Universität, Langenbeckstraße 1, D-6500, Mainz, Germany

    J. Michael Schröder

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Schröder, J.M. The fine structure of de- and reinnervated muscle spindles. Acta Neuropathol 30, 109–128 (1974). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00685437

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00685437

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