TY - JOUR
T1 - The brachial plexus branches to the pectoral muscles in adult rats
T2 - Morphological aspects and morphometric normative data
AU - Riva, Nilo
AU - Domi, Teuta
AU - Lopez, Ignazio Diego
AU - Triolo, Daniela
AU - Fossaghi, Andrea
AU - Dina, Giorgia
AU - Podini, Paola
AU - Comi, Giancarlo
AU - Quattrini, Angelo
PY - 2012/10/10
Y1 - 2012/10/10
N2 - Animal models provide an important tool to investigate the pathogenesis of neuromuscular disorders. In the present study, we analyze fiber composition of the brachial plexus branches to the pectoral muscles: the medial anterior thoracic nerve (MATN) and the lateral anterior thoracic nerve (LATN). The morphological and morphometric characteristics and the percentage of motor fibers within each nerve are here reported, adding information to microscopic anatomy knowledge of the rat brachial plexus. As control, we employed the quadriceps nerve, commonly used for the evaluation of motor fibers at hindlimbs. We demonstrated that the MATN and the LATN are predominantly composed of large motor fibers and therefore could be employed to evaluate the peripheral nervous system (PNS) involvement at forelimbs in neurological diseases models, predominantly affecting the motor fiber compartment.
AB - Animal models provide an important tool to investigate the pathogenesis of neuromuscular disorders. In the present study, we analyze fiber composition of the brachial plexus branches to the pectoral muscles: the medial anterior thoracic nerve (MATN) and the lateral anterior thoracic nerve (LATN). The morphological and morphometric characteristics and the percentage of motor fibers within each nerve are here reported, adding information to microscopic anatomy knowledge of the rat brachial plexus. As control, we employed the quadriceps nerve, commonly used for the evaluation of motor fibers at hindlimbs. We demonstrated that the MATN and the LATN are predominantly composed of large motor fibers and therefore could be employed to evaluate the peripheral nervous system (PNS) involvement at forelimbs in neurological diseases models, predominantly affecting the motor fiber compartment.
KW - Brachial plexus
KW - Lateral anterior thoracic nerve
KW - Medial anterior thoracic nerve
KW - Motor fibers
KW - Pectoral nerves
KW - Peripheral nerve
KW - Rat anatomy
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UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/citedby.url?scp=84871034529&partnerID=8YFLogxK
M3 - Article
AN - SCOPUS:84871034529
JO - Frontiers in Neuroanatomy
JF - Frontiers in Neuroanatomy
SN - 1662-5129
IS - OCTOBER 2012
ER -