Sympathetic Regulation of Homeostatic Plasticity at the Cholinergic Neuromuscular Junction

Reliable functioning of neuromuscular junctions in the respiratory and locomotor muscles is due to the ability of cholinergic synapses to exhibit plasticity under various conditions of the body, including high levels of physical activity, age-related changes, and a number of neurodegenerative diseases. Experimental data obtained in recent decades indicate that sympathetic innervation of neuromuscular junctions is one of the important regulatory factors involved in pre- and postsynaptic homeostatic plasticity. This review examines evidence of the close localization of sympathetic nerve endings and neuromuscular junctions, the effects of sympathectomy, adrenergic receptor activators, and adrenergic receptor blockers on synaptic transmission parameters at the cholinergic synapse, and the importance of sympathetic regulation for maintaining the efficiency of the synapse and the entire neuromuscular preparation.