[Changes in the dimensions of motor neurons and their components with different forms of nerve center activation]

Experiments in frogs have shown that a prolonged orthodromic rhythmical activation of motoneurons induce changes in their size and staining. Under these conditions the size of all components of motoneurons (cytoplasm, nucleus, nucleolus) is changed. The cytoplasm size changes are more pronounced than those of the nucleus. Under prolongation of the low frequency stimulation (1 per sec.) of the dorsal roots the changes are of phasic character: an initial enlargement (10 minute-long stimulation) and a subsequent decrease of all the above spinal cord motoneuron components (25 minute stimulation). After the 10 minute high frequency stimulation (50 impulses per second) of nerve centers there occur a sharp decrease of the size of the cytoplasm and the nucleus.