Glucocorticoid-induced changes in synaptic vesicles of rat phrenic nerve terminals

The mean cross sectional area of synaptic vesicle profiles of the myoneural junction of rat diaphragm is increased significantly when rats are injected i.p. with single doses of 200 micrograms/kg dexamethasone 1/2 hr to 8 hr previously to a control injection of 0.9% NaCl. A maximum effect is observed at 8 hr after pretreatment with dexamethasone. The treatment of rats with hemicholinium-3 (300 micrograms/kg) induces a significant reduction of the vesicle size. Complete prevention of this decrease in vesicle size is already observed when the animals are pretreated with a single dose of 200 micrograms/kg dexamethasone 1/2 hr before treatment with 300 micrograms/kg hemicholinium-3. Dexamethasone in the same dose causes an optimum increase of the mean cross sectional area when it is given 1 hr before treatment of the animals with hemicholinium-3. It is concluded that glucocorticoids have direct actions in both "normal" motor nerve terminals and in motor nerve terminals with a deficient choline transport system, which may contribute to their proposed beneficial effects in certain cases of muscle weakness.