Nerve excitability in the rat forelimb: a technique to improve translational utility.

BACKGROUND: Nerve excitability testing by threshold-tracking is the only available method to study axonal ion channel function and membrane potential in the clinical setting. The measures are, however, indirect and the interpretation of neuropathic changes remains challenging. The same multiple measures of axonal excitability were adapted to further explore the pathophysiological changes in rodent disease models under pharmacologic and genetic manipulations. These studies are typically limited to the investigation of the "long nerves" such as the tail or the tibial nerves. NEW METHOD: We introduce a novel setup to explore the ulnar nerve excitability in rodents. We provide normative ulnar data in 11 adult female Long Evans rats under anaesthesia by comparison with tibial and caudal nerves. Additionally, these measures were repeated weekly on 3 occasions to determine the repeatability of these tests. RESULTS: Nerve excitability assessment of ulnar nerve proved to be a longitudinally repeatable measure of axonal function mature in rats, as were measures in tibial and caudal nerves. Comparison with existing method: Ulnar nerve motor excitability measures were different from the caudal and tibial excitability measures. Most notably, ulnar nerve showed the largest threshold changes during both depolarizing and hyperpolarizing threshold electrotonus. CONCLUSIONS: Ulnar nerves demonstrate a distinct nerve excitability profile than the caudal and tibial nerves which could have functional and pathological implications.

Aging-associated changes in motor axon voltage-gated Na(+) channel function in mice.

Accumulating myelin abnormalities and conduction slowing occur in peripheral nerves during aging. In mice deficient of myelin protein P0, severe peripheral nervous system myelin damage is associated with ectopic expression of Nav1.8 voltage-gated Na(+) channels on motor axons aggravating the functional impairment. The aim of the present study was to investigate the effect of regular aging on motor axon function with particular emphasis on Nav1.8. We compared tibial nerve conduction and excitability measures by threshold tracking in 12 months (mature) and 20 months (aged) wild-type (WT) mice. With aging, deviations during threshold electrotonus were attenuated and the resting current-threshold slope and early refractoriness were increased. Modeling indicated that, in addition to changes in passive membrane properties, motor fibers in aged WT mice were depolarized. An increased Nav1.8 isoform expression was found by immunohistochemistry. The depolarizing excitability features were absent in Nav1.8 null mice, and they were counteracted in WT mice by a Nav1.8 blocker. Our data suggest that alteration in voltage-gated Na(+) channel isoform expression contributes to changes in motor axon function during aging.

Functional recovery of regenerating motor axons is delayed in mice heterozygously deficient for the myelin protein P(0) gene.

Mice with a heterozygous knock-out of the myelin protein P0 gene (P0+/-) develop a neuropathy similar to human Charcot-Marie-Tooth disease. They are indistinguishable from wild-types (WT) at birth and develop a slowly progressing demyelinating neuropathy. The aim of this study was to investigate whether the regeneration capacity of early symptomatic P0+/- is impaired as compared to age matched WT. Right sciatic nerves were lesioned at the thigh in 7-8 months old mice. Tibial motor axons at ankle were investigated by conventional motor conduction studies and axon excitability studies using threshold tracking. To evaluate regeneration we monitored the recovery of motor function after crush, and then compared the fiber distribution by histology. The overall motor performance was investigated using Rotor-Rod. P0+/- had reduced compound motor action potential amplitudes and thinner myelinated axons with only a borderline impairment in conduction and Rotor-Rod. Plantar muscle reinnervation occurred within 21 days in all mice. Shortly after reinnervation the conduction of P0+/- regenerated axons was markedly slower than WT, however, this difference decayed with time. Nevertheless, after 1 month, regenerated P0+/- axons had longer strength-duration time constant, larger threshold changes during hyperpolarizing electrotonus and longer relative refractory period. Their performance at Rotor-Rod remained also markedly impaired. In contrast, the number and diameter distribution of regenerating myelinated fibers became similar to regenerated WT. Our data suggest that in the presence of heterozygously P0 deficient Schwann cells, regenerating motor axons retain their ability to reinnervate their targets and remyelinate, though their functional recovery is delayed.