Changes of macromolecular organizations in nonjunctional sarcolemmas after cross-innervation— a study of fast-and slow-twitch muscle fibres in rats

Abstract

The purpose of the present study was to analyse the changes of macromolecular organizations in nonjunctional sarcolemmas of different types of skeletal muscle fibres after cross-innervation. In normal rats the mean density of square arrays (6 nm particles organized in orthogonal arrays) was 9.02 / μm2 for the nonjunctional sarcolemmas of fast-twitch extensor digitorum longus (control EDL, CE) muscle fibres and 0.34 / μm2 for the nonjunctional sarcolemmas of slow-twitch soleus (control SOL, CS) muscle fibres. After cross-innervation between the fast-twitch EDL and slow-twitch SOL muscle fibres by slow and fast muscle nerves respectively for three months, the mean density was 0.45/ μm2 for the nonjunctional sarcolemmas of the operated EDL (OE) and 8.3/ μm2 for the nonjunctional sarcolemmas of the operated SOL (OS), This indicates that the cross-innervation causes a reciprocal transformation of the number and distribution of such macromolecular organizations in the electrically excitable nonjunctional sarcolemmas.