The Regeneration of Noninnervated Musele Grafts and Marcaine-Treated Muscles in Young and Old Rats
Abstract
Free grafts of the extensor digitorum longus (EDL) muscle in 4-month-old rats regenerate 2-3 times better than in 24-month-old rats. Based on these data, we formulated the working hypothesis that deficient reinnervation is one of the most important age-related environmental factors within the host that might account for the poor regeneration. In the present experiments, we compared the regeneration of EDL muscles in two groups of young and old rats: (a) 21-day grafts, with fibers regenerating in the absence of nerves, and (b) Marcaine-treated muscle with fibers regenerating in the presence of uninterrupted innervation. The specific hypothesis was that, under each of these circumstances, reinnervation was not involved and age-related differences in regeneration would not be seen. Differences were assessed by measurements of mass and maximum isometric force normalized to values for age-matched control muscles. In the absence of nerves, the degree of regeneration in 21-day noninnervated EDL grafts was not significantly different between young and old rats. Similarly, when EDL muscles were damaged by Marcaine and regenerated in the presence of uninterrupted innervation, no differences were noted between young and old rats. These data support the working hypothesis that a deficiency in reinnervation with increasing age accounts, at least in part, for the poorer success of muscle regeneration in grafts in old compared with young rats.
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Skeletal muscle possesses the remarkable ability to repair and regenerate after injury or damage; however, this ability is impaired with aging.
“Skeletal muscle possesses the remarkable ability to repair and regenerate after an injury or damage; however, this ability is impaired with aging (4–7).”
From Phytoecdysteroids Accelerate Recovery of Skeletal Muscle Function Following in vivo Eccentric Contraction-Induced Injury in Adult and Old Mice (2021) · cites this paper as [7]
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- Authors
- Carlson, B. M., & Faulkner, J. A.
- Affiliations
- University of Michigan (US)
- Venue
- The Journals of Gerontology Series A: Biological Sciences and Medical Sciences
- Publisher
- Oxford University Press (OUP)
- Published
- 1996-01-01
- Volume
- 51A
- Issue
- 1
- Pages
- B43-B49
- ISSN
- 1079-5006 (ISSN-L)
- 1758-535X
- OpenAlex
- W2125147604
- Cited by
- 62
- References
- 19
- Citations by year
- 2026: 3 · 2024: 1 · 2023: 1 · 2021: 3 · 2020: 2 · 2017: 1 · 2016: 1 · 2014: 2 · 2013: 2 · 2012: 2
- FWCI
- 1.01
- Type
- journal article
- Language
- en
- Open access
- closed
- Locations
- The Journals of Gerontology Series A (publishedVersion)
- PubMed (publishedVersion)
- Funders
- National Institutes of Health
- National Institute on Aging (P01AG010821)
- Topics
- Life Sciences › Biochemistry, Genetics and Molecular Biology › Molecular Biology › Muscle Physiology and Disorders
- Life Sciences › Neuroscience › Cellular and Molecular Neuroscience › Nerve injury and regeneration
- Health Sciences › Medicine › Surgery › Tissue Engineering and Regenerative Medicine
- Keywords
- muscle regeneration, free muscle graft, extensor digitorum longus, reinnervation, aging, marcaine, muscle denervation, age differences, isometric force, innervation
- MeSH terms
- Aging, Animals, Bupivacaine, Male, Muscle Contraction, Muscles, Rats, Inbred F344, Regeneration, Specific Pathogen-Free Organisms, Rats
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