Ultrastructural study of neuromuscular junction in rectus femoris muscle of streptozotocin-diabetic rats.

The neuromuscular junctions (NMJ) from rectus femoris muscle in streptozotocin (STZ)-induced diabetic rats were examined by electron microscopy eight weeks after the STZ injection. When compared to controls and vehicle-injected groups, both the axon terminal and the junctional sarcoplasm showed serious alterations including mitochondrial degeneration, presence of myeloid bodies, breakdown of presynaptic membrane and changes in the form of the synaptic vesicles. The results suggest that NMJ can contribute to the pathogenesis of diabetic proximal myopathy.