Electron microscopic study of long-term denervated rat skeletal muscle

This study describes the ultrastructure of long-term denervated rat extensor digitorum longus and tibialis anterior muscles, with particular emphasis on understanding the cellular basis for the reduced restorative capacity of long-term denervated muscle.

In 30 male WI/HicksCar rats, the right hindleg was denervated for periods of 1, 2, 4, 5.5, 6, 7, 12, 14, and 18 months before tissues were prepared for electron microscopy.

Atrophy of muscle fibers was prominent by the second month post-denervation. At this time, type II fibers showed greater atrophy than type I fibers. At further periods of denervation, atrophy of all fibers was seen; and with increasing times of denervation the muscle fibers became surrounded by dense mats of collagen fibers. Muscle spindles persisted for the duration of this study. At two and four months, satellite cells showed signs of activation, such as elongated cytoplasmic processes and an increased concentration of cytoplasmic organelles. As denervation progressed, activated satellite cells became more widely separated from their associated muscle fibers, and basal lamina material was deposited between the satellite cells and muscle fibers. Some satellite cells broke free from their muscle fibers, and others acted as bridges between two muscle fibers. Evidence was seen of both muscle fiber degeneration and the regeneration of new muscle fibers, often more than one regenerating fiber beneath a single basal lamina. Loose folds of basal lamina were often present around atrophic muscle fibers. As denervation progressed, the morphology of individual muscle fibers varied. Some contained well-ordered lattice arrays of myofilaments, whereas in others considerable sarcomeric disorganization was evident. Mitochondria became smaller and rounded; elements of the sarcoplasmic reticulum proliferated and became more disorganized; lipid droplets, glycogen deposits, and autophagic vesicles were all present in the cytoplasm of atrophic muscle fibers.

In addition to muscle fiber atrophy, long-term denervated muscles show evidence of myofiber and capillary death, as well as the deposition of massive amounts of interstitial collagen. These changes, all of which would appear to reduce the restorative capacity of the denervated muscle, take place concurrently with the morphological activation of satellite cells. The latter indicates that even in the denervated condition, restorative processes occur concurrently with regressive processes.