The effect of altered peripheral field on motoneurone function in developing rat soleus muscles

In soleus muscles of 4- to 5-day-old rats the quantum content of axon terminals from L4 spinal roots is less than half that from L5. With development the size of L4 motor units decreases and the quantum content of L4 nerves increases to become similar to that of L5 axons. During this time the overlap of territories of L4 and L5 axons is reduced from 46% at 4-6 days to 2% at 18-20 days. This reduction occurs entirely at the expense of L4 territory. Removal of the L5 ventral ramus (v.r.) at 4-6 days prevents the reduction of L4 territory so that at 18 days L4 motor units are about 4 X normal size. In spite of this enlarged peripheral field of L4 axons the quantum content of their terminals increases to normal levels. When L5 v.r. was removed at 16-18 days, i.e. when the reduction of the L4 peripheral field was complete, expansion of L4 motor units was also seen, but in this case the quantum content of L4 terminals was less than normal. Thus it appears that during early stages of development, before synaptic reorganization within the muscle is complete, motoneurones are able to adapt their function to increased peripheral demands more effectively than at later stages of post-natal development. Retrograde labelling of soleus motor pool with horseradish peroxidase (HRP) showed that removal of L5 v.r. either at 4 or 15 days of age reduced the number of motoneurones supplying soleus muscle to less than 20%. No change in size of the remaining motoneurones was seen, indicating that the adjustment of transmitter output at the neuromuscular junctions in the younger group had no effect on the size of the cell.