Biomedical subjects
Publications and source records attributed to K S Murthy.
Skeletofusimotor (beta) axons exerting a static action on spindle primary endings were identified in the peroneus brevis and tertius muscles of the cynomolgus monkey. In most of the identified static beta motor units, the extrafusal portion was of the fast-contracting fatiguable type.
Twitch and tetanic contractions of single motor units of the cat peroneus tertius muscle were examined after application of a test allowing their identification as either fast fatigable (f.f.) or fast fatigue-resistant (f.r.) or fast intermediate (f.i.) or slow units as established by Burke, Levine, Tsairis & Zajac (1973). The test was found to leave two kinds of after-effects in f.f., f.r. and f.i. units whereas it did not affect slow units. The first after-effect was an early and brief potentiation of twitch tension occurring in all f.r. and f.i. units and in most f.f. units. The second after-effect, termed 'delayed fatigue', was a prolonged depression of tension output, that developed slowly following the early potentiation in all f.f. and f.i. units and more than half of the f.r. units. One hour after the test, unfused tetanic contractions elicited by 20-40/sec stimulation were deeply depressed in motor units that had been left without stimulation since the end of the test. Recovery took place in 3-5 hr. Motor units affected by delayed fatigue could nevertheless be made to develop nearly normal tension by gradual build-up upon prolonged stimulation at 30-40/sec. Maximal tetanic contractions elicited by 200/sec stimulation were much less depressed during delayed fatigue than unfused tetanic contractions. These observations suggest that contractile mechanism were not impaired by delayed fatigue. Since absence of change in muscle action potential indicated that excitation of muscle fibres was not affected either, delayed fatigue might be due to a temporary failure of excitation-contraction coupling.
A total of ten alpha motor axons which innervated the peroneus brevis muscle were isolated in two cynomolgus monkeys. In each experiment, the isolated alpha axons were stimulated collectively to deplete glycogen from their muscle units. The muscle was then frozen quickly , cut serially, and stained for glycogen. Of the 52 muscle spindles that were examined, zones of glycogen depletion were found in the intrafusal fibres of 32 spindles. The glycogen-depleted motor units included both fast-twitch and slow-twitch types. Depleted zones were observed in all three types of intrafusal muscle fibres. It was concluded that skeletofusimotor (beta) efferents were among the stimulated motor axons. This finding constitutes the first anatomical evidence for the existence of beta innervation in the primate.
Motor units of the cat peroneus tertius muscle were systematically analyzed using the criteria established by Burke et al. (1973). On the basis of their speed of contraction and resistance to fatigue, 121 (97%) of 125 motor units examined in ten adult cats could be classified as belonging to one of four types: fast-fatigable (FF), fast-resistant (FR), fast-intermediate (FI), and slow-resistant (S). Peroneus tertius was found to contain 30% FF motor units, 9% FI units, 39% FR units, and 22% S units. Contraction times of fast motor units (FF, FR, and FI) ranged from 15 to 27 ms and those of S units from 26 to 42 ms. The mean tetanic tensions were 37 g for FF units, 29 g for FI units, 7.5 g for FR units, and 1.1 g for S units. Fast motor units displayed considerable post-tetanic potentiation of twitch tension. Under similar conditions of stimulation, FF units appeared able to potentiate more and faster than FR units.
1. Physiological tests were used to identify skeletofusimotor or beta axons to the cat peroneus tertius muscle in order to assess the proportion of beta axons in the motor supply to this muscle. 2. Static beta axons (beta S) were identified by: (a) observation of a delay between the complete block of extrafusal contraction and the failure of spindle activation upon prolonged stimulation, (b) increase of spindle excitation with stimulation frequencies above that eliciting maximal extrafusal contraction, (c) observation of 'unfused' frequencygram of spindle primary afferent discharge during stimulation of the axon at frequencies above that eliciting complete fusion of extrafusal contraction and (d) static action exerted on the response of the spindle afferent to ramp stretch. 3. Dynamic beta axons (beta D) were identified by the persistence of spindle activation after selective block of extrafusal neuromuscular junctions and by their dynamic action on spindle primary endings. 4. The actions of 116 motor axons (conduction velocity 56-104 m/sec) on ninety-five spindle afferents (fifty-seven from primary and thirty-eight from secondary endings) were examined in ten experiments. Thirty-six beta axons (31% of the total sample) were identified: twenty-four beta S (conduction velocity 69-104 m/sec) and twelve beta D (conduction velocity 56-91 m/sec). 5. Twenty (35%) primary endings were activated by a beta S and sixteen (28%) by a beta D axon. Nineteen (45%) secondary endings were activated by a beta S and five (13%) by a beta D axon. Convergence of beta D and beta S axons on the same spindle occurred in 10% of instances. beta-innervated spindles were also supplied by gamma axons. 6. Most of the beta S motor units were of the fast-fatigue resistant (FR) type, with a few units of the fast-fatigable (FF) type, and nearly all the beta D motor units were of the slow (S) type.
A protocol has been developed to use the GE 8800 scanner and its resident programs to calculate stereotactic coordinates, which has made it possible to use any stereotactic apparatus without modifying the apparatus in order to introduce a cannula into any lesion visualized on a computed tomographic (CT) scan to biopsy tumors, drain abscesses, implant radioisotopes, etc. The CT scanning is done in a routine fashion except that a lateral ScoutView, with the planes of each CT slice indicated, is included. Once the CT scan has been completed, resident programs for measuring distances are used to establish a zero point on a reference plane, from which all other coordinates can be defined. The stereotactic procedure is done at a separate time in the operating room, using the coordinates derived from the CT scan. The ScoutView image is compared to the lateral x-ray film taken during the stereotactic procedure to establish the location of the targets. It has been estimated that the accuracy of this system is 3 mm. Abscesses less than 1 cm in diameter deep within the cerebral hemisphere have been accurately aspirated and tumor biopsies have been successfully taken.
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2 patients with previously implanted dorsal column stimulators underwent basal thalamotomy for the treatment of pain, which provided the opportunity to record evoked potentials from the intralaminar (IL) and ventroposterolateral (VPL) areas of the thalamus. Short latency evoked potentials recorded from VPL were not influenced by dorsal column stimulation. However, very long latency (500 ms) potentials recorded bilaterally in IL were modified by stimulation of the dorsal columns of the spinal cord at frequencies between 20 and 40 HZ.
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Responses of muscle afferent nerve fibres to tendon taps of digital muscles in the human can be recorded with surface electrodes attached to the skin over the nerve at the wrist. Using an effectively monopolar recording method, a considerable improvement in signal amplitude is achieved with simultaneous reduction in mechanical artefacts using differential amplification techniques. The characteristics of the afferent waveform (latency and duration) are discussed in relation to the applied stimulus. The contribution to the afferent response from receptors other than in the muscle have been shown to be minimal. Afferent fibres from primary muscle spindle endings are thought to be the major contributors to the afferent waveforms recorded by this technique.
The effect of varying the fusimotor bias on the muscle spindle responses to light tendon taps has been studied in normal human volunteers using surface electrodes at the wrist for recording whole nerve activity. Reinforcement manoeuvres were found to increase the sensitivity of the afferent responses to the mechanical stimulus. Such sensitisation was found to be exhibited more commonly as a decrease in the latency of the peak of the afferent waveform than as an increase in amplitude. Increase in amplitude of the response was seen in cases where the subject was well relaxed and the test muscle quiescent. A change in furimotor drive was also achieved by asking the subjects to close their eyes voluntarily during the test, thus depriving themselves of the visual feedback. The results under these conditions were found to be variable, though showing considerable changes from control recordings. The effect of reinforcement manoeuvres may perhaps result in increasing the dynamic fusimotor drive. Such an effect may be simulated on occluding the blood supply to the test muscle since ischaemia produces an immediate rise in the rate of afferent discharge. The method of recording is suggested as a convenient technique for clinical use.
The influence of shear mixing on the in vitro dissolution properties of several experimental capsule formulations containing lubricants was investigated. The studies were carried out in 2.8-liter laboratory V-blender equipped with a high-speed intensifier bar, using nitrofurantoin and procainamide hydrochloride as active drugs, powdered lactose and starch as excipients, and magnesium stearate and magnesium lauryl sulfate as lubricants. These studies revealed a pronounced inhibitory effect on drug dissolution due to shear in powder mixtures containing magnesium stearate; even at the maximum lubricant level of only 2%, high mixing markedly altered the in vitro dissolution rate. In systems with magnesium lauryl sulfate, the shear effect was less pronounced (nitrofurantoin blends) or absent (procainamide hydrochloride blends). The poor dissolution characteristics noted with magnesium stearate--shear combinations seem to result from the formation of a hydrophobic film around the powder mass, preventing wetting and deaggregation.
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