A study was made of the morphological and morphometrical features of muscle spindles in biopsies of patients with Werdnig-Hoffmann disease (infantile spinal muscular atrophy type I) to investigate the possible involvement of the muscle spindles in the pathological processes of the disease. A total of 57 muscle spindles from 26 cases were studied. The parameters determined were: the diameter and area of spindles, the number, diameter and area of intrafusal fibers, the number and area of nuclei. In addition, the ratio of the area of the intrafusal fibers to the area of nuclei and the ratio of the area of the spindle to the area of the intrafusal fibers were calculated. Statistical evaluation of the data showed significant differences regarding the area of the muscle spindle, the diameter of the intrafusal fibers and the mean area of nuclei of the intrafusal fibers, which were all smaller in patients than in controls (p=0.03, 0.01 and 0.02, respectively), while the thickness of the capsule was greater in patients than in controls (p=0.01). Our results indicate that the muscle spindle participates in the pathological processes of Werdnig-Hoffmann disease.
Download full-text PDF |
Source |
|---|---|
| http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.acthis.2006.03.020 | DOI Listing |
Publication Analysis
Top Keywords
Similar Publications
Macrophages excite muscle spindles with glutamate to bolster locomotion.
Nature
January 2025
Faculty of Medicine, Department of Brain Sciences, Imperial College London, London, UK.
Article Synopsis
- The stretch reflex is a key part of movement, involving muscle spindles that detect tension changes and trigger muscle contractions via nerve signals in the spinal cord.
- Researchers have discovered a unique type of macrophage in muscle spindles that can produce and release glutamate, enhancing communication between sensory neurons and muscles.
- Silencing these macrophages disrupts the stretch reflex and affects locomotion in mice, suggesting that they play a crucial role in sensory feedback and movement regulation, with potential implications for new treatments in movement disorders.
The evolution of muscle spindles.
Exp Physiol
November 2024
School of Biomedical Sciences, Monash University, Clayton, Victoria, Australia.
Muscle spindles are stretch-sensitive mechanoreceptors found in the skeletal muscles of most four-limbed vertebrates. They are unique amongst sensory receptors in the ability to regulate their sensitivity by contraction of the intrafusal muscle fibres on which the sensory endings lie. Muscle spindles have revealed a remarkable diversity of functions, including reflex action in posture and locomotion, contributing to bodily self awareness, and influencing wound healing.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFCharacterization of sensory and motor dysfunction and morphological alterations in late stages of type 2 diabetic mice.
Front Endocrinol (Lausanne)
March 2024
Ministry of Education Key Laboratory of Protein Science, Beijing Advanced Innovation Center for Structural Biology, Beijing Frontier Research Center for Biological Structure, School of Life Sciences, Tsinghua University, Beijing, China.
Diabetic neuropathy is the most common complication of diabetes and lacks effective treatments. Although sensory dysfunction during the early stages of diabetes has been extensively studied in various animal models, the functional and morphological alterations in sensory and motor systems during late stages of diabetes remain largely unexplored. In the current work, we examined the influence of diabetes on sensory and motor function as well as morphological changes in late stages of diabetes.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFA physiologically enhanced muscle spindle model: using a Hill-type model for extrafusal fibers as template for intrafusal fibers.
Comput Methods Biomech Biomed Engin
December 2023
Institute for Modeling and Simulation of Biomechanical Systems, University of Stuttgart, Stuttgart, Germany.
The muscle spindle is an essential proprioceptor, significantly involved in sensing limb position and movement. Although biological spindle models exist for years, the gold-standard for motor control in biomechanics are still sensors built of homogenized spindle output models due to their simpler combination with neuro-musculoskeletal models. Aiming to improve biomechanical simulations, this work establishes a more physiological model of the muscle spindle, aligned to the advantage of easy integration into large-scale musculoskeletal models.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFHamstrings vibration reduces tibiofemoral compressive force following anterior cruciate ligament reconstruction.
J Orthop Res
April 2024
Department of Kinesiology and Health Education, The University of Texas at Austin, Austin, Texas, USA.
Individuals who have undergone anterior cruciate ligament reconstruction (ACLR) are at greater risk of developing knee osteoarthritis (OA). This elevated risk of knee OA is associated with high tibiofemoral (TF) compressive force, due to a combination of low knee flexion angles and increased co-contraction of the hamstrings and quadriceps during limb loading. Prolonged vibration of the hamstrings fatigues the intrafusal muscle fibers, which reduces autonomic reflexive excitation of the hamstrings and alleviates reciprocal inhibition to the quadriceps.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFWant AI Summaries of new PubMed Abstracts delivered to your In-box?
Enter search terms and have AI summaries delivered each week - change queries or unsubscribe any time!