General and strain-specific age changes at mouse limb neuromuscular junctions

Age changes at limb neuromuscular junctions (NMJs) of CB57 and BALB/C mice were investigated and compared with previous results in a hybrid strain, in order to identify common characteristics of neuromuscular transmission and to assess the prevalence of signs of denervation and disuse. Resting membrane potential decreased with age in soleus muscles with no change in passive membrane properties. Miniature end-plate potential, amplitude and quantal content were greatly increased, with no change in muscle fiber diameter or nerve terminal morphometry. The various observed patterns of age changes were not those of disuse or denervation. Although there were diverse age changes in spontaneous transmitter release in different mouse strains, increased transmitter release per unit length of nerve terminal in limb muscle was a notably consistent finding across strains. It is apparently less subject to epigenetic variation during aging than most other reported neuromuscular physiological parameters.