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Action potential
1. Proportional to stimulus strength (graded) 2. Not propagated but decremental with distance
3. Exhibits summation
4. magnitude: low
Magnitude: high
6. duration: Longer
duration: shorter
MYASTHENIA GRAVIS:
A rare auto-immune disease. More common in females Voltage of EPP is very low (Miniature EPP) action potential is not followed. At rest normally, a few synaptic vesicles liberate Ach small change in EPP (about 0.5 mV) called MEPP. Impulse fails to transmit through NMJ Severe muscle weakness & fatigue. Auto-antibodies are produced against Ach gated receptors & these receptors are destroyed irreversibly.
2. Plasmapharesis: it may sometimes be needed to remove the autoantibodies from the serum. 3. Glucocorticoids (steroids) may also be required to inhibit the immunity.
Evidence that Myasthenia Gravis is an autoimmune disease: 1. Auto antibodies detected in patients blood. 2. In many of these cases, thymus is enlarged & thymectomy is of benefit.
EXPLANATION OF CASE
This young woman has classic myasthenia gravis. In the autoimmune form of the disease, antibodies are produced to ACh receptors on the motor end plates of skeletal muscle. Her symptoms of severe muscle weakness (eye muscles; arms and legs) are explainable by the presence of antibodies that block ACh receptors. Although ACh is released in normal amounts from the terminals of motoneurons, binding of ACh to its receptors on the motor end plates is impaired. Because ACh cannot bind, depolarization of the motor end plate (end plate potential, EPP) will not occur, and normal action potentials cannot be generated in the skeletal muscle. Muscle weakness and fatigability ensue.