Artikel
Recovery of whisking function after facial nerve injury in mice requires insulin-like growth factor 1 (IGF-1)
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Veröffentlicht: | 21. Oktober 2010 |
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Gliederung
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Objective: Recently, we showed that manual stimulation (MS) of denervated vibrissal muscles enhanced functional recovery following facial nerve cut and suture (FFA) by reducing poly-innervation at the neuro-muscular junctions (NMJ). Although the cellular correlates of poly-innervation are established, with terminal Schwann cells (TSC) processes attracting axon sprouts to “bridge” adjacent NMJ, molecular correlates are poorly understood.
Methods: Quantitative RT-PCR revealed a rapid increase of IGF-1 mRNA in denervated muscles and we examined the effect of daily MS for 2 months after FFA in IGF-1+/- heterozygous mice; controls were wild-type (WT) littermates. We quantified vibrissal motor performance and percentage of NMJ bridged by S100-positive TSC.
Results and conclusions: There were no differences between intact WT and IGF-1+/- mice for vibrissal whisking amplitude (48o and 49o) or the percentage of bridged NMJ (0%). After FFA and handling alone (i.e. no MS) in WT animals, vibrissal whisking amplitude was reduced (60% lower than intact) and the percentage of bridged NMJ increased (42% more than intact). MS improved both the amplitude of vibrissal whisking (not significantly different from intact) and the percentage of bridged NMJ (12% more than intact). After FFA and handling in IGF-1+/- mice, the pattern was similar (whisking amplitude 57% lower than intact; proportion of bridged NMJ 42% more than intact). However, MS did not improve outcome (whisking amplitude 47% lower than intact; proportion of bridged NMJ 40% more than intact).
We conclude that IGF-I is required to mediate the effects of MS on target muscle reinnervation and recovery of whisking function.