Table 2.
Average relative percentage of small, medium and large nerve fibres (μm2) from 6- and 12-month-old mstn+/+ and 6-, 12- and 24-month-old mstn−/− mice. All data are shown as mean ± SEM.
| Radial | Ischiatic | ||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| mstn+/+ | mstn−/− | mstn+/+ | mstn−/− | ||||||
| Motor unit percentage (%) | 6 m | 12 m | 6 m | 12 m | 24 m | 6 m | 12 m | 6 m | 12 m |
| Small (0-20 μm2) | 38.2 ± 8.9 | 46.5 ± 3.1 | 25.2 ± 2.1 | 37.1 ± 5.5 | 59.6 ± 5.9*§ | 38.1 ± 2.3 | 49.8 ± 3.5 | 6.2 ± 1.1 | 34.9 ± 3.0* |
| Medium (20–60 μm2) | 40.5 ± 2.6 | 44.4 ± 2.6 | 41.6 ± 1.1 | 36.3 ± 1.1 | 35.5 ± 4.5 | 53.0 ± 2.7 | 40.3 ± 1.1 | 67.8 ± 4.7 | 58.8 ± 2.4 |
| Large (> 60 μm2) | 21.3 ± 9 | 9.2 ± 3.5 | 33.2 ± 2.7 | 26.6 ± 6.3 | 4.9 ± 1.8*§ | 8.8 ± 2.3 | 9.9 ± 3.7 | 26.0 ± 5.3 | 8.8 ± 1.6* |
Radial nerve – small: *significant difference from 6-month-old mstn−/− mice (P = 0.007); §significant difference (P = 0.04) from 12-month-old mstn−/− mice; medium: no significant changes; large: *significant difference from 6-month-old mstn−/− mice (P = 0.008), §12-month-old mstn−/− mice (P = 0.02).
Ischiatic nerve – small: *significant difference from 6-month-old mstn−/− mice (P = 0.001); medium: no significant changes; large: *significant difference from 6-month-old mstn−/− mice (P = 0.02).