Search results for "neuromuscular junction"
showing 9 items of 79 documents
Temperature dependence of the toxic effects of phenytoin on peripheral neuromuscular function of the rat tail.
1990
We studied the acute effects of a single dose of phenytoin (250 mg/kg) on peripheral neuromuscular function. The evoked muscle action potentials of the dorsal segmental muscles in the rat tail, and the conduction velocity of the dorsal nerve trunk which innervates them, were measured before and after the intraperitoneal injection of phenytoin. The experiments were performed at different temperatures, 27 (physiological tail temperature), 36 and 37 degrees C (physiological central temperature) in different groups of animals. The amplitudes of the evoked muscle action potentials in the treated groups showed no significant modifications at 27 degrees C, at 36 degrees C a small nonsignificant de…
Prevention of the acute neurotoxic effects of phenytoin on rat peripheral nerve by H7, an inhibitor of protein kinase C.
1992
Abstract The neurotoxic effects of a single dose of phenytoin (150 mg/kg body weight) alone or 30 min after H7 (a protein kinase C inhibitor) injection (20 mg/kg body weight) were investigated in terms of peripheral neuromuscular function and Na + ,K + -ATPase activity of the sciatic nerve. This intraperitoneal injection of phenytoin induced complete blockade of muscle action potentials in the dorsal segmental muscles of the rat tail evoked by electric stimulation of the caudal nerve and a 40% decrease in the Na + ,K + -ATPase activity of the rat sciatic nerve when compared with control values, measured as the difference between total and ouabain-insensitive ATPase activity. Prior administr…
Physostigmine and Neuromuscular Transmission
1993
Single channel studies carried out in cultured rat myoballs and cultured hippocampal neurons, and ion flux studies performed on Torpedo electrocyte membrane vesicles, showed that physostigmine (Phy), a well-established acetylcholinesterase inhibitor, interacts directly with nicotinic acetylcholine receptors (nAChR). Low concentrations (0.1 microM) of Phy activate the receptor integral channel, whereas higher concentrations blocked the channel in its opened state. In contrast to channel activation by acetylcholine (ACh) and classical cholinergic agonists, however, Phy was capable of activating the nAChR channel even when the ACh binding sites were blocked by competitive antagonists, such as …
Erbb2 regulates neuromuscular synapse formation and is essential for muscle spindle development
2003
Neuregulins and their Erbb receptors have been implicated in neuromuscular synapse formation by regulating gene expression in subsynaptic nuclei. To analyze the function of Erbb2 in this process, we have inactivated the Erbb2 gene in developing muscle fibers by Cre/Lox-mediated gene ablation. Neuromuscular synapses form in the mutant mice, but the synapses are less efficient and contain reduced levels of acetylcholine receptors. Surprisingly, the mutant mice also show proprioceptive defects caused by abnormal muscle spindle development. Sensory Ia afferent neurons establish initial contact with Erbb2-deficient myotubes. However, functional spindles never develop. Taken together, our data su…
Recent progress in understanding cholinergic function at the cellular and molecular levels
1992
Cholinergic transmission can claim to be the first form of chemical neurotransmission to be investigated by pharmacological and electrophysiological methods and the first in which both the transmitter and its receptor have been isolated and characterized. One reason for this is that neuromuscular transmission is cholinergic and the neuromuscular junction (especially that of frogs) is a readily investigated synapse in which responses are recorded by a muscular twitch — something which can be appreciated by direct observation and which does not require sophisticated equipment. Another is that in the form of the electric organs of strongly electric fish Nature has provided a tissue embryologic…
Pre- and postsynaptic effects of muscarinic agonists in the guinea-pig ileum
1980
The effects of several muscarinic agonists on smooth muscle (postsynaptic effect) and on acetylcholine release (presynaptic effect) were compared in the longitudinal muscle-myenteric plexus preparation of the guinea-pig ileum. 1. For release experiments the acetylcholine stores of the preparation were labelled with 3H-choline. Electrical field stimulation in the absence of a cholinesterase inhibitor caused an outflow of tritium that reflected release of 3H-acetylcholine. The agonists oxotremorine, arecaidinepropargylester, methylfurmethide, muscarine, carbachol, arecoline and pilocarpine inhibited the stimulation-induced outflow in a concentration-dependent manner. At the highest concentrat…
Facilitatory and inhibitory muscarine receptors on the rat phrenic nerve: effects of pirenzepine and dicyclomine
1988
Neuronal transmitter stores of the rat phrenic nerve were labelled by an incubation with [3H]choline. Release of [3H]acetylcholine was elicited either by a short (100 pulses, 5 Hz) or by a long (1500 pulses, 5 or 25 Hz) period of electrical nerve stimulation. Pirenzepine and dicyclomine enhanced transmitter release evoked by the short stimulation period. Both antagonists reduced transmitter release evoked by the long stimulation period. Pirenzepine reduced transmitter release at low concentrations (1 nmol/l) whereas a higher concentration was necessary for the enhancing effect; the opposite pattern was found for dicyclomine. A low concentration of oxotremorine (10 nmol/l) enhanced and a hig…
Differential blockade by nifedipine and ω-conotoxin GVIA of α1- and β1-adrenoceptor-controlled calcium channels on motor nerve terminals of the rat
1990
Electrically evoked release of [3H]acetylcholine ([3H]ACh) from the rat phrenic nerve and its facilitation by stimulation of presynaptic alpha 1- and beta 1-adrenoceptors were investigated in the absence and presence of nifedipine and omega-conotoxin GVIA. Both calcium channel antagonists did not modify electrically evoked [3H]ACh release, but selectively blocked the effect triggered by both facilitatory adrenergic receptors. The increase in [3H]ACh release mediated via beta 1-adrenoceptor activation was abolished by low concentrations (1 nM) of omega-conotoxin GVIA, whereas nifedipine (100 nM) abolished the facilitatory effect mediated via alpha 1-adrenoceptor stimulation. Therefore, the b…
Metalloproteinases and Tissue Inhibitors in Generalized Myasthenia Gravis. A Preliminary Study
2022
Introduction: Matrix metalloproteinases (MMPs) and tissue inhibitors of metalloproteinases (TIMPs) have recently been proposed as promising biomarkers in different immune-mediated disorders. We evaluated the plasma levels of MMP-9 and MMP-2 and their tissue inhibitors TIMP-1 and TIMP-2 in a patients’ cohort with generalized myasthenia gravis (MG). Methods: Plasma concentrations of MMP-9, MMP-2, TIMP-1 and TIMP-2 were evaluated in 14 patients with generalized MG and 13 age- and sex-matched healthy controls. The severity of disease was assessed by the modified Osserman classification. Results: Compared to the healthy subjects, MG patients had increased plasma concentrations of MMP-9, but redu…