Autonomic nerve fibers aberrantly reinnervate denervated facial muscles and alter muscle fiber population.

ABSTRACT: The surgical redirection of efferent neural input to a denervated muscle via a nerve transfer can reestablish neuromuscular control after nerve injuries. The role of autonomic nerve fibers during the process of muscular reinnervation remains largely unknown. Here, we investigated the neurobiological mechanisms behind the spontaneous functional recovery of denervated facial muscles in male rodents. Recovered facial muscles demonstrated an abundance of cholinergic axonal endings establishing functional neuromuscular junctions. The parasympathetic source of the neuronal input was confirmed to be in the pterygopalatine ganglion. Furthermore, the autonomically reinnervated facial muscles underwent a muscle fiber change to a purely intermediate muscle fiber population (MHCIIa). Finally, electrop

SUBMITTER: Tereshenko V 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC9653283 | biostudies-literature | 2022 Oct

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature