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During early development, rat soleus muscle fibres are innervated by several axons. Neuromuscular activity is involved in the elimination of all but one terminal, but it is not clear whether electrical or mechanical activity is important. Here, we reduced mechanical activity only, by interfering with excitation-contraction coupling. Muscles treated with dantrolene sodium at 9 days produced significantly less force at 13 days of age than normal muscles, and their sensitivity to ACh was greater than that of controls. The elimination of polyneuronal innervation occurs between days 9-12, but in muscles treated with dantrolene, the loss of synapses was slower. Thus, reducing mechanical activity by interfering with excitation-contraction coupling, (a) delays muscle development and (b) reduces the rate of elimination of polyneuronal innervation.
L Greensmith, and
D I Harding, and
M P Meyer, and
G Vrbová
January 1979,
Progress in brain research,
L Greensmith, and
D I Harding, and
M P Meyer, and
G Vrbová
January 1992,
The European journal of neuroscience,
L Greensmith, and
D I Harding, and
M P Meyer, and
G Vrbová
June 1981,
Journal of neurocytology,
L Greensmith, and
D I Harding, and
M P Meyer, and
G Vrbová
September 1978,
The Journal of physiology,
L Greensmith, and
D I Harding, and
M P Meyer, and
G Vrbová
April 1981,
Brain research,
L Greensmith, and
D I Harding, and
M P Meyer, and
G Vrbová
April 1983,
Acta physiologica Scandinavica,
L Greensmith, and
D I Harding, and
M P Meyer, and
G Vrbová
May 1981,
Proceedings of the Royal Society of London. Series B, Biological sciences,
L Greensmith, and
D I Harding, and
M P Meyer, and
G Vrbová
March 1984,
Brain research,
L Greensmith, and
D I Harding, and
M P Meyer, and
G Vrbová
October 1977,
The Journal of physiology,
L Greensmith, and
D I Harding, and
M P Meyer, and
G Vrbová
July 1988,
Journal of neurobiology,
