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  • Title: Progressive motor unit loss in the G93A mouse model of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis is unaffected by gender.
    Author: Hegedus J, Putman CT, Gordon T.
    Journal: Muscle Nerve; 2009 Mar; 39(3):318-27. PubMed ID: 19208415.
    Abstract:
    We examined whether there are gender differences in the progressive loss of functional motor units in SOD1(G93A) transgenic mice. Isometric muscle and motor unit twitch contractions were recorded in fast- and slow-twitch muscles in response to stimulation of the sciatic nerve. Using a modified motor unit number estimation technique (ITS-MUNE), we found that motor unit numbers declined rapidly from 40 to 90 days of age during the asymptomatic phase of ALS in fast- but not slow-twitch hindlimb muscles of both male and female mice. There was a corresponding decline in twitch and tetanic contractile forces of the fast-twitch muscles. Gender did not affect the progressive loss of motor units and associated decline in force production. We conclude that gender does not alter progressive, muscle-specific motor unit loss in ALS, even though gender does influence disease onset.
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