Biomechanics Research Today is a free monthly online journal that collates and summarizes the latest research about Biomechanics, including details on mechanics of living organisms, movement, locomotion, prosthetic limbs.

Variations in amino acid neurotransmitters in the rat ventral spinal cord after hindlimb unloading.

Treffort N, Dubreucq G, Canu MH, Guérardel Y, Falempin M, Picquet F

Laboratoire de Plasticité Neuromusculaire, UPRES EA 1032, IFR 118, Bât. SN4, Université des Sciences et Technologies de Lille, 59655 Villeneuve d'Ascq Cedex, France. nicolas_treffort@yahoo.fr

We have measured by HPLC the neurotransmitter content in L(4) and L(5) spinal segmental levels in CONT rats, after 7 (HU7) and after 14 days (HU14) of hindlimb unloading. These segments are known to contain the hindlimb muscle motoneurons. The main result is the increase of two neuroexcitators (glutamate and aspartate) and two neuroinhibitors (glycine and GABA) at the L(5) spinal segmental level in HU7 group. Our data indicated that the neurotransmitter changes are restricted to spinal segmental level containing motoneurons from muscles which are strongly modified by HU condition.

Published 4 July 2006 in Neurosci Lett, 403(1): 147-50.
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