Motor function: brainstem and spinal cord Flashcards
What is a neuromuscular junction?
A synapse between a muscle fiber and a branch of motor neuron axon. The axon of a motor neuron divides into a number of branches at the surface of the muscle fiber. Each branch ends in a bouton.
How wide is the cleft of a NMJ?
50nM across
The postjunctional membrane, the endplate, which is thrown into folds, has a high density of what receptors?
nicotinic acetylcholine receptors under the active zones where acetylcholine (ACh) is released.
What is the structure of the basal lamina of the cleft?
It is a collagenous basement membrane to which is bound acetylcholinesterase (AChE). Soluble forms of the same enzyme are also secreted into the cleft.
What happens when ACH binds to Nicotinic acetylcholine receptors (nAChR)?
These are ligand-gated ion channels that mediate fast ACh transmission. Binding of ACh opens the channel, allowing Na+influx and K+ efflux. The reversal potential for this current is close to 0 mV, so activating nAChR causes depolarization.
What occurs after a spontaneous release of a single quantum of ACh at the nmj?
This causes a 0.4 mV depolarization at the endplate called a miniature endplate potential (mepp).
The arrival of an action potential at the motor nerve terminal triggers what?
Triggers the release of 200–300 quanta producing numerous mepps which sum to produce a depolarization to about -20 mV, an endplate potential (epp). This greatly exceeds the threshold for activating voltage-dependent sodium channels in the muscle membrane, so an action potential which is propagated over the muscle fiber membrane.
How long does it take for the concentration of AcH in the NMJ to reach 1mM, and how long does it take to fall back to baseline?
within about 200 μs of the arrival of an action potential at the motor nerve terminal but within a millisecond or so the Ach concentration has fallen back to baseline levels because of the high activity of AChE in the cleft.
How is AcH removed from the cleft?
AChE hydrolyzes ACh to choline and acetate. Choline is taken back into the nerve terminal via a Na+ -dependent transporter.
What is the mechanism of action of Nondepolarizing muscle relaxants, such as the tetrahydroisoquinoline derivatives (e.g., the prototypical d-tubocurarine, atracurium) and the aminosteroids (e.g., pancuronium)?
They are competitive antagonists of nAChR. The duration of action of these drugs ranges from 15 to 180 minutes.
What is the mechanism of action of neostigmine to reverse action of non depolarizing muscle relaxants?
It is an AChE inhibitor that causes a rise in the concentration of ACh which then out-competes the drug for the nicotinic receptor.
Which is the only depolarizing muscle relaxant of clinical importance?
Succinylcholine
What is the mechanism of action of succinylcholine?
It is a nAChR agonist
What is the phase 1 block by succinylcholine?
Initially, agonist binding opens the nicotinic receptor channel causing persistent depolarization of the endplate. This first causes generalized disorganized contractions of muscles called fasciculations, and is followed by flaccid paralysis as muscle Ca2+ channels inactivate and the contraction mechanism fails as a result. This arises as a result of an ACh-like depolarization and so is augmented rather than reversed by AChE inhibitors.
What is a phase 2 block by succinylcholine?
With continuing exposure phase II block occurs in which the nAChR either desensitizes, or suffers open channel blockade by the drug. Phase II block can be reversed by AChE inhibitors.
Why is the duration of action of succinylcholine only 5 minutes?
Succinylcholine is rapidly hydrolyzed by circulating esterases.
What is a motor unit?
Consists of a motor neuron and the muscle fibers it innervates. In mammals each muscle fiber is supplied by only one motor neuron, however, each motor neuron synapses with anything from 6 to a few thousand muscle fibers within a single muscle. The fibers of a single unit are scattered widely throughout a muscle so no part of a muscle is controlled by just one motor unit.
What is the size of a motor unit related to?
To the precision of motor control required of a given muscle. Finely regulated muscles consist of small motor units, less finely regulated muscles have larger ones
What does a single action potential in the motor neuron cause?
A twitch (single contraction) in all of the muscle fibers to which it is attached.
What is unfused tetanus?
The contraction and relaxation of muscle fibers is loner than the muscle AP (3ms). If a volley of APs is fired (at 12HZ) and there is insufficient time for the muscle to relax between successive impulses the twitches summate to increase the force which oscillates about a plateau value.
What is fused tetanus?
As firing frequency increases (30HZ), the oscillations smooth out and the plateau reaches maximum force.
Which type of motor units are the most common?
Slow twitch (S) motor units
What are the properties of the force generated by the fibers of S motor units?
they take 50 ms to reach peak force and show little decline, even after an hour of repetitive stimulation. They are capable of exerting low forces for long periods. They form the bulk of the antigravity or postural muscles of the trunk and legs.
What are the properties of the motor neurons of the S motor units?
They are small, have low conduction velocity and long refractory periods because they contain a high density of calcium activated K channels which cause a long afterhyperpolarization.