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At least 19 recordsLinked to original sources
PubMed1990

Distribution of postganglionic parasympathetic fibers originating in the pterygopalatine ganglion in the maxillary and ophthalmic nerve branches of the trigeminal nerve; HRP and WGA-HRP study in the guinea pig.

The distribution of the postganglionic parasympathetic fibers originating in the pterygopalatine ganglion (PTPG) has been traced in the guinea pig by means of the HRP and WGA-HRP methods. The greatest number of labeled cells were observed when WGA-HRP was injected in the lacrimal gland. After applying HRP to all the ramifications of the maxillary and ophthalmic divisions of the trigeminal nerve, labeled neurons were found in the PTPG. Numerous PTPG fibers were detected in the ethmoidal and sphenopalatine nerves. The presence of PTPG fibers in the supraorbital, infratrochlear, zygomaticotemporal, zygomaticofacial-inferior palpebral, sphenopalatine and infraorbital-superior alveolar nerves has not hitherto been reported in mammals.

Animals↗
PubMed1987

The postganglionic parasympathetic fibers originating in the otic ganglion are distributed in several branches of the trigeminal mandibular nerve: an HRP study in the guinea pig.

Application of HRP to the proximal stumps of the ramifications of the trigeminal nerve shows that all those belonging to the mandibular branch contain parasympathetic fibers originating in the otic ganglion. The nerve with the largest proportion of these fibers is the auriculotemporal nerve (50-60% of all labeled neurons), while the smallest percentages are found in the lingual nerve and motor root (about 5% each). The presence of otic fibers in the inferior alveolar, mylohyoid, buccal and motor branches of the trigeminal nerve has not hitherto been reported.

Animals↗
PubMed1994

Canine salivary secretion from the submaxillary glands before and during retching.

To investigate the changes in salivary secretion associated with emesis, salivary secretion from the submaxillary gland and centrifugal discharge from the parasympathetic postganglionic nerve fibers from the submandibular ganglion were measured after emetic stimulation in chloralose-anesthetized and paralyzed dogs. In the basal condition, saliva flow and the basal frequencies of single unit discharges from the parasympathetic nerve were very low. Esophageal and gastric distension and lingual nerve afferent stimulation generally increased salivary secretion and nerve activity. Administration of apomorphine (0.2-0.3 mg/kg im) or intragastric infusion of copper sulfate (10%, 50 ml) elicited an excitation of parasympathetic nerve activity, and salivary secretion was facilitated in parallel to this nerve activity. The excitatory responses induced by emetic stimulation were suddenly depressed in correspondence with retching activities. This depression in nerve activity appeared 200-400 ms after the beginning of retching volleys of the phrenic nerve and continued during retching. These results indicate that the salivary center receives excitatory and inhibitory inputs from two different sources before and during retching activities, respectively.

Animals↗
PubMed1992

Parasympathetic postganglionic nerve fibers in the fungiform papillae of the bullfrog, Rana catesbeiana.

An investigation was made of the precise origin of the unmyelinated nerve fibers in the fungiform papillae of the bullfrog's tongue. Some unmyelinated nerve fibers in the fungiform papillae originate from the parasympathetic postganglionic cells in the glossopharyngeal nerve. Axonal enlargements of the parasympathetic nerve fibers were in close contact with the Merkel-like basal or supporting cells in the taste disk. These results seem to provide morphological evidence for the existence of an efferent control system in the taste disk.

Animals↗
PubMed1976

Automic innervation of dog coronary arteries.

The autonomic innervation of canine coronary arteries has been examined using the Falck and Owman technique for demonstrating catecholamines and a modification of the Koelle technique for the demonstration of cholinesterase. The experimental protocol included an examination of the neural innervation of the major coronary arteries: LCC, LAD, and RCA. A consistent, relatively dense adrenergic innervation was noted. A gradient in the degree of cholinergic innervation was: LAD less than RCA less than LCC. Light microscopic examination of the hearts of dogs subjected to either cervical vagotomy or total extrinsic cardiac denervation was performed. Additional surgical procedures included removal of the left stellate ganglion and a preferential stripping of the LCC. These studies demonstrated the intrinsic nature of parasympathetic coronary innervation. Following all surgical procedure no variations in density of cholinergic innervation were noted, indicating that these fibers are probably postganglionic parasympathetic fibers arising from intrinsic ganglia within the ventricles. These ganglia may be located at the base of the great vessels and send their fibers to the coronary vessels via the septal artery.

Animals↗
PubMed1992

Origins of parasympathetic postganglionic vasodilator fibers supplying the lips and gingivae; an WGA-HRP study in the cat.

Application of WGA-HRP to the mandibular lip and buccal gingiva of the cat resulted in retrograde labeling in the ipsilateral otic ganglion (OG), whereas labeled neurons appeared in the pterygopalatine ganglion (PPG) as well as in the OG when the tracer was injected into the maxillary lip and buccal gingiva. The results suggest that both the facial and the glossopharyngeal preganglionic vasodilator fibers supplying the mandibular lip and buccal gingiva mediated in the OG, and those innervating the maxillary lip and buccal gingiva are mediated in the PPG and the OG.

Animals↗
PubMed1986

Vagus nerve stimulation alters regional acetylcholine turnover in rat heart.

The turnover of neurotransmitter is a direct measure of neuronal function, varying with the impulse activity of the nerve. It is not known if vagal stimulation increases acetylcholine release uniformly throughout the heart, or if modification of neural signals occurs between the vagal nerve trunks and postganglionic synaptic terminals. The rate constant of acetylcholine turnover was measured in conduction and contractile regions of heart by quantifying the incorporation of [3H]choline into acetylcholine after labeling of the blood choline pool in urethane-anesthetized rats during two levels of vagal activity. Choline and acetylcholine were assayed by high pressure liquid chromatography with electrochemical detection of post-column enzymic reaction product, peroxide. The specific activities of choline and acetylcholine in the tissues at sacrifice were used to calculate the fractional turnover rates in cardiac regions. Supramaximal bilateral vagal stimulation for 20 minutes decreased heart rate (P less than 0.05), while mean arterial blood pressure remained constant. The rate constants for acetylcholine turnover in right atrial regions containing the sinoatrial node, left atrial tissues, and interatrial septum doubled from control values during vagal stimulation. In contrast, the fractional rate constants of acetylcholine turnover did not change in the right and left ventricles during vagal stimulation. We interpret these results to indicate general activation of postganglionic parasympathetic fibers to the atria and selective modulation of postganglionic parasympathetic neural function to the ventricles.

Acetylcholine↗
PubMed1993

Possible origins and distribution of immunoreactive nitric oxide synthase-containing nerve fibers in cerebral arteries.

The distribution of perivascular nerve fibers expressing nitric oxide synthase (NOS)-immunoreactivity was examined in Sprague-Dawley and Long-Evans rats using affinity-purified rabbit antisera raised against NOS from rat cerebellum. NOS immunoreactivity was expressed within the endothelium and adventitial nerve fibers in both rat strains. Labeled axons were abundant and dense in the proximal anterior and middle cerebral arteries, but were less numerous in the caudal circle of Willis and in small pial arteries. The sphenopalatine ganglia were the major source of positive fibers in these vessels. Sectioning postganglionic parasympathetic fibers from both sphenopalatine ganglia reduced the density of NOS-immunoreactive (IR) nerve fibers by > 75% in the rostral circle of Willis. Moreover, NOS-IR was present in 70-80% of sphenopalatine ganglion cells. Twenty percent of these neurons also contained vasoactive intestinal polypeptide (VIP)-immunoreactivity. By contrast, the superior cervical ganglia did not contain NOS-IR cells. In the trigeminal ganglion, NO-IR neurons were found chiefly within the ophthalmic division; approximately 10-15% of neurons were positively labeled. Colocalization with calcitonin gene-related peptide (CGRP) was not observed. Sectioning the major trigeminal branch innervating the circle of Willis decreased positive fibers by < or = 25% in the ipsilateral vessels. In the nodose ganglion, 20-30% of neurons contained NOS-immunoreactivity, whereas less than 1% were in the C2 and C3 dorsal root ganglia. Three human circles of Willis obtained at autopsy showed sparse immunoreactive fibers, chiefly within vessels of the posterior circulation. Postmortem delay accounted for some of the reduced density. Our findings indicate that nerve fibers innervating cerebral arteries may serve as a nonendothelial source of the vasodilator nitric oxide (NO). The coexistence of NOS and VIP within sphenopalatine ganglion cells raises the possibility that two vasodilatory agents, one, a highly diffusable short-lived, low-molecular-weight molecule, and the other, a polar 28 amino acid-containing peptide, may serve as coneuromediators within the cerebral circulation.

Amino Acid Oxidoreductases↗
PubMed2001

Presence of neuronal nitric oxide synthase in autonomic and sensory ganglion neurons innervating the lacrimal glands of the cat: an immunofluorescent and retrograde tracer double-labeling study.

It is generally considered that parasympathetic postganglionic nerve fibers innervating the lacrimal gland (LG) arise from the pterygopalatine ganglion (PPG), while sympathetic and sensory innervations arise from the superior cervical ganglion (SCG) and trigeminal ganglion (TG), respectively. Recently, we reported for the first time that the parasympathetic innervation of the cat LG was also provided by the otic ganglion (OG) and ciliary ganglion (CG), and that the sensory innervation was also provided by the superior vagal ganglion (SVG) and superior glossopharyngeal ganglion (SGG). To determine if nitric oxide (NO) is a neurotransmitter of the autonomic and sensory neurons innervating the LG, we injected the cholera toxin B subunit (CTB) as a retrograde tracer into the cat LG, and used double-labeling fluorescent immunohistochemistry for CTB and nitric oxide synthase (NOS). We found that NOS-/CTB-immunofluorescent double-labeled perikarya were localized in the PPG, OG, TG, SVG and SGG, but not in the CG and SCG. The highest numbers of NOS-/CTB-immunofluorescent double-labeled neurons were found in the PPG and TG. In addition, we examined the presence of nitrergic nerve fibers in the LG using NADPH-d histochemistry and found that a large amount of NADPH-d-stained nerve fibers were distributed around the glandular acini and in the walls of glandular ducts and blood vessels. This study provides the first direct evidence showing that NO may act as a neurotransmitter or modulator involved in the parasympathetic and sensory regulation of lacrimal secretion and blood circulation, but may not be implicated in the sympathetic control of LG activities, and that nitrergic nerve fibers in the LG arise mainly from parasympathetic postganglionic neurons in the PPG and sensory neurons in the TG. The present results suggest that NO plays an important role in the regulation of LG activities.

Animals↗
PubMed1990

Selective electrical stimulation of postganglionic cerebrovascular parasympathetic nerve fibers originating from the sphenopalatine ganglion enhances cortical blood flow in the rat.

Recently, the origins and pathways of cerebrovascular acetylcholine- and vasoactive intestinal polypeptide-containing nerves have been elucidated in detail in the rat: The sphenopalatine ganglion is the major source for postganglionic parasympathetic fibers to the vascular beds of the cerebral hemispheres. To clarify the functional role of the nerves on cerebral blood vessels in vivo, brain cortical microvascular blood flow was measured in rats during electrical stimulation of these particular postganglionic fibers. Animals were subjected to transection of the right nasociliary nerve 2 weeks before the flow measurements to eliminate activation of peptidergic sensory fibers. Relative change in microvascular blood flow was continuously recorded by a laser-Doppler flowmeter system under alpha-chloralose anesthesia. The postganglionic fibers were electrically stimulated just proximal to the ethmoidal foramen by a bipolar platinum electrode (5 V; 0.5 ms; 3, 10, 30, 60 Hz; as a continuous stimulation for 90 s). Stimulation at 10 Hz induced a marked increase of the cortical blood flow (CoBF) on the ipsilateral side, whereas no change was observed on the contralateral side. It reached a maximum mean value of 42.5% at 46 s, and then slightly declined during the remaining stimulation period. No significant changes were observed in the mean arterial blood pressure or blood gases during or after stimulation. Both atropine and scopolamine failed to alter this flow increase. Electrical stimulation of the postganglionic fibers at different frequencies revealed a maximal increase in the CoBF at 30 Hz in the control situation (47.2%), but at 10 Hz after scopolamine administration (51.6%).(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

Animals↗
PubMed1987

Retrograde axonal transport of true blue dye by the peripheral autonomic nerves in canine nasal mucosa.

In this study we employed retrograde axonal transport of (E)-2,2'-vinylendi-benzofuran-5-carboxamidin-diaceturate+ ++ or true blue (TB) to study the peripheral autonomic innervation of the canine nasal mucosa. After injection of TB into the nasal mucosa, labeled neurons were found in the ipsilateral sphenopalatine ganglion (SPG) and the superior cervical ganglion (SCG). There were no labeled neurons in the middle cervical or stellate ganglia. This indicated that the origin of the postganglionic sympathetic fibers of the nasal mucosa was only from the ipsilateral SCG. When TB was injected into the nasal mucosa of dogs following a caudal or ethmoidal neurectomy, labeled neurons could still be found in the SPG and SCG. When TB was injected into the nasal mucosa of dogs following ethmoidal and vidian neurectomies or with maxillary neurectomy added, some labeled neurons could still be found in both the ipsilateral SPG and SCG. These results support the concept that another pathway--perhaps perivascular--exists for postganglionic sympathetic fibers other than the vidian and ethmoidal nerves. Labeled neurons were still observed in SPG when TB was applied to the canine nasal mucosa following neurectomy of either the ethmoidal or the caudal nasal nerve. However, retrograde labeled neurons could not be found in SPG following simultaneous neurectomies of the ethmoidal and caudal nasal nerves. These results show that the postganglionic parasympathetic fibers originating in the SPG travel along the ethmoidal and caudal nasal nerves.

Animals↗
PubMed1996

Postganglionic cholinergic dysautonomia with incomplete recovery: a clinical, neurophysiological and immunological case study.

A 26-year-old man presented with signs and symptoms of marked postganglionic cholinergic autonomic dysfunction manifested by non-reacting dilated pupils, paresis of accommodation, decreased salivation, dry skin, atony of the bladder, erectile impotence and complete gastrointestinal paresis. Standard neurophysiological tests for myelinated sensory and motor fibre function and quantitative methods to examine unmyelinated parasympathetic, sympathetic and afferent fibres were performed: parasympathetic function was measured by heart rate variation tests. Sympathetic cutaneous vasoconstrictor responses induced by deep inspiration were examined with laser Doppler flowmetry. Cutaneous nociceptive C-fibre function was assessed by measurement of axon reflex vasodilatation and flare size induced by histamine iontophoresis. The findings confirmed that the abnormalities were restricted exclusively to the cholinergic postganglionic autonomic systems. All other functions were completely preserved. Modern neurophysiological methods of testing sympathetic and afferent small fibre function might help in the diagnosis of cholinergic postganglionic dysautonomia in the early stages. The specificity of the dysfunction argues in favour of an immunological pathogenesis. However, antibody screening including acetylcholine receptor antibodies and voltage-gated calcium channel antibodies gave negative results. Whatever autoimmunological mechanism might be involved, the postulated antibodies act highly specifically on unknown structures of the cholinergic postganglionic autonomic neurons.

Adult↗
PubMed1993

Parasympathetic cerebrovasodilator center of the facial nerve.

Functional studies have yet to be undertaken to establish which brain region subserves the parasympathetic regulation of the cerebral circulation. Using 31 anesthetized rats with precluded cervical sympathetic trunks, we therefore attempted to perform chemical stimulation of the greater petrosal nerve (GPN) cell group, which is a subgroup of the superior salivatory nucleus and sends off axons largely to the parasympathetic pterygopalatine ganglion via the GPN component of the facial nerve. The cerebrocortical blood flow was monitored with a laser-Doppler flowmeter. Unilateral stimulation of the GPN cell group by microinjection of L-glutamate reduced the ipsilateral cerebrocortical vascular resistance, maximally by 16.4 +/- 4.1% (mean +/- SD, n = 61). The response was not mediated by the classic muscarinic receptors of the cerebral vessel wall. However, pharmacological blockade of the peripheral parasympathetic ganglia and acute and chronic bilateral removal of the parasympathetic postganglionic fibers originating in the pterygopalatine ganglion abolished the response. The present data thus provide functional evidence that the GPN cell group may constitute a parasympathetic cerebrovasodilator center.

Animals↗
PubMedDate not supplied

Histochemical demonstration of peripheral autonomic innervation in canine nasal mucosa by retrograde axonal transport of horseradish perioxidase.

The peripheral autonomic nervous pathways of the nasal mucosa in dogs were investigated by the horseradish peroxidase (HRP) method. HRP was applied to the nasal mucosa, caudal nasal nerve, ethmoidal nerve, vidian nerve and pterygopalatine ganglion in 20 dogs, and retrogradely labelled neurons were observed in the superior cervical ganglion (SCG) and the pterygopalatine ganglion (PPG) by the blue reaction method. It was suggested that the vidian nerve, the maxillary branch of the trigeminal nerve, the caudal nasal nerve, the pterygopalatine nerve and the ethmoidal nerve contained the postganglionic sympathetic fibres which originated in SCG and terminated in the nasal mucosa. Moreover, other sympathetic pathways, such as those around the blood vessels, were also suggested to be a main route. It was suggested that the postganglionic parasympathetic fibers originating in PPG travelled along the caudal nasal nerve and the ethmoidal nerve.

Animals↗
PubMed2003

A case of incomplete postganglionic cholinergic dysautonomia.

Postganglionic cholinergic dysautonomia is a relatively uncommon disease that manifests as an acute and selective dysfunction of the parasympathetic and sympathetic sudomotor nervous system. Here, we present a 27-year-old woman who suffered from subacute onset of bladder paresis. The clinical and laboratory examinations revealed a selective parasympathetic dysfunction including dilated pupils and decreased tearing without an involvement of the sympathetic sudomotor system. From clinical and laboratory evidences, it is suggested that the tonic pupil and postganglionic cholinergic dysautonomia may not be a completely different disease entity but share the same pathogenesis, which is separated only by the severity or the extent of the disease. The patient was diagnosed as 'incomplete postganglionic cholinergic dysautonomia'.

Adult↗
PubMed1996

Cholinergic innervation of the primate hippocampal formation: II. Effects of fimbria/fornix transection.

The distribution of choline acetyltransferase (ChAT)-immunoreactive and acetylcholinesterase (AChE)-positive fibers and terminals was analyzed in the hippocampal formation of macaque monkeys subjected to transection of the fimbria/fornix. Cases with either unilateral or bilateral transections were prepared, with post transection survival times ranging from 2 weeks to 1.5 years. The fimbria/fornix transection resulted in a dramatic decrease in the number of cholinergic fibers in most regions of the hippocampal formation. Some hippocampal regions, however, showed relatively greater sparing of ChAT- or AChE-positive fibers. In practically all regions of the hippocampal formation, residual AChE-positive fibers were more abundant than ChAT-immunoreactive fibers. In animals with unilateral lesions, the distribution patterns and density of AChE and ChAT staining on the side contralateral to the lesion were generally similar to those of sections from unlesioned control brains. The largest decreases in the densities of positive fibers were observed in the dentate gyrus, CA3 and CA2 fields of the hippocampus, subiculum, parasubiculum, and medial and caudal parts of the entorhinal cortex. Fibers were relatively better preserved in the rostral or uncal portion of the hippocampus and dentate gyrus and in the rostral portion of the entorhinal cortex. The presubiculum demonstrated remarkable sparing that contrasted with the almost complete loss of fibers in the parasubiculum. Interestingly, animals killed approximately 1.5 years after the fornix transection showed essentially the same pattern of fiber loss as the cases with shorter survival periods. This indicates that the residual ChAT-immunoreactive fibers, many of which reach the hippocampal formation through a ventral cholinergic pathway, are not capable of reinnervating the denervated portions of the hippocampal formation. This appears to distinguish the monkey from the rat, for which substantial sprouting and reinnervation of cholinergic fibers have been reported after similar lesions.

Acetylcholinesterase↗
PubMed2006

Shaping the pupil's response to light in the hooded rat.

The contribution of iris muscle steady state and dynamic response characteristics to the shaping of the pupil response to light in the hooded rat were studied using electrical stimulation of the parasympathetic fibers in the III nerve. The waveforms of pupillary contractions to single or brief trains of electrical impulses applied to the III nerve were virtually identical to those elicited with short duration light flashes. Individual contractions could be resolved at stimulation rates of 2 Hz and below, and the size of the contractions increased with the decrease in frequency. The pupil responded to long trains of stimuli above 2 Hz with smooth tonic contractions. Steady state contraction amplitude was linearly related to log stimulation frequency. The mean time constant of pupil constriction to stimulus trains was 1.41 s (SD +/- 0.71 s) and the shortest mean latency was 292 ms (SD +/- 30 ms). The fastest mean latency of pupil constriction to the brightest light flash used was 295 ms. In contrast, the time constant of pupillary dilation was 7 s (SD +/- 1.4 s) and the shortest latency was 485 ms (SD +/- 74 ms). Therefore, the sluggish dynamic properties of the iris musculature are responsible for the asymmetries in pupil contraction, dilation, and latencies as well as low flicker fusion frequency and constriction amplitude characteristics of pupil responses to light.

Animals↗