The possible role of cyclic AMP in the neurotrophic control of skeletal muscle.

1. Motoneurones provide trophic control of some of the functional characteristics of skeletal muscle fibres. This study has been designed to test whether the adenylate cyclase: cyclic AMP system may offer one potential mechanism for the mediation of neurotrophic regulation. 2. The concentration of cyclic AMP was measured at various intervals after muscle denervation. Muscle cyclic AMP concentration increases for the first 2 days after nerve section. It reaches a maximum value at 48 h and subsequently returns to the control value at 7 days. 3. Cyclic AMP concentration is unchanged by muscle disuse for the first 3 days following limb immobilization. Four days after immobilization, however, cyclic AMP increases in both the disused and contralateral control muscles. This phenomenon has been tentatively ascribed to some aspect of the inflammatory response. 4. Changing the level of nerve section, and therefore the length of the residual nerve stump, changes the temporal pattern of the increase in muscle cyclic AMP concentration. 5. Reinnervation of a denervated muscle produces a decrease in muscle cyclic AMP concentration. 6. It is concluded from the results that some aspect of nerve function provides trophic regulation of the muscle adenylate cyclase: cyclic AMP system. The mechanisms by which this regulation may be applied are considered in the Discussion.