Effects of increased motor activity on the dimensions and the staining properties of the neuron soma

✍ Scribed by Jan-Erik Edström

• Publisher: John Wiley and Sons
• Year: 1957
• Tongue: English
• Weight: 629 KB
• Volume: 107
• Category: Article
• ISSN: 0021-9967
• DOI: 10.1002/cne.901070207

✦ Synopsis

A number of investigations have shown that the soma of a neuron enlarges as a result of increased activity whereas shrinkage occurs at exhaustion (Vas, 1892; Mann, 1894;Lugaro, 1895). On the other hand some workers have found that shrinkage is the only effect of activity with respect to volume changes (Hodge, 1889 ; Luxenburg, 1898 ; Legendre and Pigron, '08). Negative findings have also been reported (Eve, 1896 ; Kocher, '16 ; Hydgn, '43).

A great deal of the confusion which exists in this field no doubt depends on the wide variety of experimental procedures used, including functional activity as well as electrical stimulation, in both instances of vastly varying intensities. A distinction between acute effects of a sudden activity increase and effects caused by a long-continued muscular training is usually lacking.

The purpose of this paper is to give an account of an investigation where the effects of acute and long-continued increase in activity under physiological conditions were studied separat ely .

Methods

Animals. Young guinea-pigs, reared in cages were used. At the time of their death they weighed 340410gm. Six 'The investigation was supported by a grant from AB ASTRA, Sodertiilje, Sweden.