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Department of Anatomy and Developmental Biology, Centre for Neuroscience, UCL, London, UK.

1. The effects of partial denervation on motor units of the fast twitch extensor digitorum longus (EDL) muscle of the rat were studied. 2. Partial denervation was performed by surgically removing 2-4 mm of the L4 ventral ramus in 3- and 18-day-old Wistar rats. Two to three months later, EMG activity, contractile properties and muscle fibre types were analysed. 3. After partial denervation the EDL muscle became significantly more active, particularly in the animals operated on at 3 days. The amount of activity during periods of rest was up to 4 times that of the control EDL muscle. 4. The maximum tetanic tension developed by the EDL muscles 2 months after partial denervation at 3 days was only 11 +/- 1.01% (S.E.M., n = 18) of the control. In animals operated on at 18 days this value was larger, i.e. 44 +/- 3.46% (S.E.M., n = 12). The low force output of animals operated on at 3 days was also reflected in the low mean motor unit (MU) force output which was only 69 +/- 5.82% (S.E.M., n = 17) of the contralateral control muscle. In contrast the force generated by MUs of rats operated on at 18 days was larger than that of control muscles, i.e. 151 +/- 13.05% (S.E.M., n = 11). The number of MUs was 6 +/- 0.32 (S.E.M., n = 19) in rats operated on at 3 days and 12 +/- 0.83 (S.E.M., n = 14) in rats operated on at 18 days. 5. The speed of contraction decreased and the resistance to fatigue increased. These changes were greater in animals operated on at 3 days. The proportion of muscle fibres reacting with antibody against slow myosin showed a significant increase, especially in the group of animals operated on at 3 days.