Calbindin D-28k-immunoreactivity in rat muscle spindles during postnatal maturation and after denervation

Calbindin D-28k-immunoreactivity has been demonstrated in some of the intrafusal muscle fibres and in the capsule of adult rat muscle spindles. In this study, the immunocytochemical localization of calbindin D-28k in the muscle spindles of triceps surae muscle was studied during postnatal maturation and after denervation. In young rats calbindin D-28k-immunoreactivity was seen in a few intrafusal fibres, first at the age of 4 days. At the 7th day, three calbindin D-28k-immunoreactive fibres and one unlabelled fibre were seen in most muscle spindles, as in adult rats. The spindle capsule and perineurial sheath of nerves were first seen to exhibit calbindin D-28k immunoreactivity at the age of 14 days, and thereafter the localization of calbinding D-28k-like immunoreactivity was similar to that in adult rats. After denervation, calbindin D-28k-immunoreactivity remained in intrafusal muscle fibres and the spindle capsule for a long period. After two months of denervation, calbindin D-28k immunoreactivity could still be seen in the spindle capsule, but the intrafusal fibres were not labelled. The innervation is known to have trophic effects on the intrafusal fibres. The present findings suggest that the expression of calbindin D-28k-immunoreactivity in maturating muscle spindles may be induced by the developing innervation. The decrease of calbindin D-28k-immunoreactivity in intrafusal fibres after denervation may be due to the loss of trophic factors released by the nerves.