Improved Human Muscle Biopsy Method To Study Neuromuscular Junction Structure and Functions with Aging

Area of Science:

• Neuromuscular biology
• Aging research
• Biomedical engineering

Background:

• Reduced mobility in elders is a growing public health concern linked to neuromuscular changes.
• Understanding human neuromuscular junctions (NMJs) is crucial for aging and disease research, but access to suitable tissue is limited.
• Existing methods for obtaining muscle tissue for NMJ analysis have low success rates.

Purpose of the Study:

• To introduce and validate a novel method, Biopsy using Electrostimulation for Enhanced NMJ Sampling (BeeNMJs), for improved human NMJ retrieval.
• To assess the safety and efficacy of the BeeNMJs technique compared to traditional muscle biopsy methods.

Main Methods:

• Developed the BeeNMJs technique involving local cutaneous electrostimulation to identify NMJ-rich areas in the Vastus lateralis muscle.
• Performed needle biopsies near the stimulated sites.
• Compared the yield and quality of NMJs obtained using BeeNMJs versus traditional biopsy methods.

Main Results:

• The BeeNMJs procedure was safe and well-tolerated by participants.
• NMJs were observed in 53.3% of BeeNMJs biopsies, significantly higher than the 16.7% from traditional methods.
• BeeNMJs yielded an average of 30.13 NMJs per sample, compared to 2.33 with traditional methods, with high-quality labeling of pre-, post-synaptic, and glial elements.

Conclusions:

• The BeeNMJs technique substantially enhances the success rate and quality of NMJ sampling from human muscle biopsies.
• This improved method facilitates critical research into NMJs, particularly concerning aging and neuromuscular diseases.
• BeeNMJs offers a valuable tool for advancing our understanding of neuromuscular function and dysfunction.