Electrophysiologic denervation changes of human muscle fibers in motoneuron diseases

Muscle denervation and reinnervation by sprouting of the surviving motoneurons characterizes motoneuron diseases (MND). In mammalian muscles, experimental denervation induces the appearance of extrajunctional acetylcholine (ACh) receptors and tetrodotoxin (TTX) resistant action potentials (AP). These denervation changes have been investigated in muscle biopsies from 10 MND patients and in 2 traumatically denervated normal human muscles. Extrajunctional ACh sensitivity was present in 113 of the 140 (73%) fibers from MND muscles studied. In 50 of 84 (70%) ACh-sensitive fibers, no TTX-resistant AP were present. The remaining fibers (30%) showed small regenerative responses. In contrast, all the traumatically denervated muscle fibers showed extrajunctional ACh sensitivity and TTX-resistant AP. Histochemical analysis of the biopsies showed no direct correlation between the frequency of ACh-sensitive fibers and that of the atrophic or normal-appearing fibers. The absence of TTX-resistant AP in ACh-sensitive fibers and its lack of correlation with the histochemical criteria of denervation suggest the presence of a state of innervation in MMD, where the motoneuron is not able to maintain its fully trophic influence on the muscle fiber membrane.