Effects of α-isoproterenol on denervation atrophy in orbicularis oculi muscle fibers

Abstract

The effect of the β-adrenoceptor agonist isoproterenol on the denervated orbicularis oculi muscle was studied. We cut the facial nerve on the right side of eight rats and injected isoproterenol (5 mglkg) into four rats every day. The animals were sacrificed after three weeks, and small pieces of the orbicularis oculi muscle were removed. Muscle fibers were separated into single fibers. Cytochrome oxidase enzyme staining was applied, and density of cytochrome oxidase enzyme product and diameter of individual muscle fibers were analyzed by computer. Some of the muscle fibers were observed under electron microscopy. The results showed that diameter and cytochrome oxidase enzyme activity of the orbicularis oculi muscle decreased by denervation, otherwise, it increased to near the normal level by administration of isoproterenol. Electron microscopic observation showed that the myosion filaments became thin and their arrangement were disordered by denervation and their findings recovered to be almost normal by isoproterenol administration. We concluded that isoproterenol could prevent the orbicularis oculi muscle from atrophying which caused by denervation.