MOTOR-NERVE SPROUTING AFTER PARTIAL DENERVATION IN MICE - A SEM AND TEM STUDY

Motor nerve sprouting in the mouse gastrocnemius muscle was examined by scanning electron microscope (SEM) and transmission electron microscope (TEM) after partial denervation. Terminal sprouts initially grew out from the intact motor endplates with a growth cone and then a Schwann cell migrated into the growing sprout. Being accompanied by a Schwann cell, nodal sprouts branched out from the intact nodes of Ranvier, but they could not be seen having a growth cone in their terminal tip.