Proprioception in the extraocular muscles of mammals and man.

This article summarizes the authors' previous studies on proprioceptors in extraocular muscles (EOMs) of mammals and man. They report on muscle spindles in the EOMs of man, Golgi tendon organs in the EOMs of even-toed ungulates, and palisade endings in the EOMs of the cat. Muscle spindles: Muscle spindles are present in the EOMs of some mammals and in the EOMs of man.

Palisade endings in extraocular muscles of the monkey are immunoreactive for choline acetyltransferase and vesicular acetylcholine transporter.

Purpose: To analyze palisade endings in extraocular muscles (EOMs) of a primate species and to examine our previous findings in cat that palisade endings are putative effector organs.

Methods: Eleven monkeys (Macaca fascicularis) of both sexes, between 4 and 6 years of age were analyzed. Whole EOM myotendons were immunostained with four combinations of triple-fluorescent labeling and examined by confocal laser scanning microscopy.

Molecular characteristics suggest an effector function of palisade endings in extraocular muscles.

Purpose: To analyze palisade endings in cat extraocular muscles (EOMs) and to clarify whether these EOM-specific organs are sensory or motor.

Methods: Twelve cats aged between 1 and 16 years were analyzed. Whole EOM tendons were immunostained using four different combinations of triple fluorescence labeling.

Muscle spindles and Golgi tendon organs in bovine calf extraocular muscle studied by means of double-fluorescent labeling, electron microscopy, and three-dimensional reconstruction.

In the present study muscle spindles (MSps) and Golgi tendon organs (GTOs) in bovine extraocular muscles (EOMs) were analyzed in detail. The innervation pattern of these proprioceptors was investigated with transmission electron microscope and confocal laser scanning microscope after double-fluorescent labeling. Three-dimensional (3D) reconstructions were performed of GTOs.