Cholinergic innervation of the mouse superior cervical ganglion: light-and electron-microscopic immunocytochemistry for choline acetyltransferase (original) (raw)
Related papers
Journal of the Autonomic Nervous System, 1995
Using immunohistochemical techniques a small population of choline acetyltransferase (CHAT) immunoreactive (IR) neurones has been identified in the inferior mesenteric ganglion (IMG) of guinea pig (4.6% of all neurones), ferret (6.4%) and rat (0.4%). A detailed study in the guinea-pig IMG revealed that the vast majority of cholinergic neurones did not express tyrosine hydroxylase (TH)-IR, indicating that they were non-catecholaminergic. The cholinergic neurones were significantly larger than the TH-positive neurones. The majority of the ChAT-IR cells (64%) was observed in small clusters which were consistently located in the caudal lobe of the IMG close to the entry of the hypogastric nerves. 83% of the ChAT-IR cells also contained neuropeptide Y (NPY). Since the vast majority of TH-negative cells were ChAT-positive (94%), the TH negativity was taken as an indirect indication for ChAT-IR. NPY-IR, somatostatin (SOM)-IR and vasoactive intestinal peptide (VIP)-IR were found in both the TH-IR cells (22, 84 and 1%, respectively) and the putative cholinergic population (95, 84 and 70, respectively). Thus the majority of cholinergic neurones in the IMG were likely to contain NPY, SOM and VIP. TH-IR cells exhibited an extensive innervation of fibres immunoreactive for CHAT, VIP, ENK and NOS. In contrast, only a sparse plexus of CHAT-, ENK-, NOS-, NPY-and SOM-positive fibres was found around the TH-negative cells. VIP-IR fibres did not appear to innervate ChAT neurones.
Are there cholinergic through-fibers in the superior cervical ganglion of the mouse?
Histochemistry, 1991
Choline acetyltransferase immunocytochemistry was used to detect the presence and distribution of cholinergic through-fibers in the superior cervical ganglion of adult mice. The results revealed a great number of choline acetyltransferase-positive axons in the cervical sympathetic trunk and the varicose terminal axons involved in the innervation of the principal ganglionic cells within the ganglion. Immunostained axons were scarce or absent in the external or internal carotid nerves. The immunocytochemical results argue against the physiological importance of cholinergic through-fibers in the postganglionic nerves.
The Journal of Comparative Neurology, 1984
A monoclonal antibody to choline acetyltransferase (ChAT), the acetylcholine (ACh)-synthesizing enzyme, has been used to localize ChAT within neurons in immunocytochemical preparations of adult rat spinal cord. Morphological details of known cholinergic spinal neurons are presented in this study, and previously unidentified ChAT-containing neurons are also described. Immunoreaction product was present within cell bodies, dendrites, axons, and axon terminals, thereby allowing comprehensive descriptions of the distribution of ChAT-positive neurons and the interrelationships of their processes. In the ventral horn, ChAT-positive motoneurons were located in the medial, central, and lateral motor columns, and their dendrites formed elaborate longitudinal and transverse ChAT-positive bundles. These bundles were present throughout the rostrocaudal extent of the spinal cord. In the central gray matter, small ChAT-positive cell bodies were clustered around the central canal. Small longitudinal fascicles of immunoreactive processes were also observed in this region adjacent to the ependymal layer. The intermediate gray matter of virtually the entire spinal cord was spanned by medium to large ChAT-positive multipolar cells termed partition neurons. At autonomic spinal levels, partition neurons were intermingled with other immunoreactive cells that were identified as preganglionic sympathetic or parasympathetic neurons because of their locations and morphological characteristics. In the sympathetic system, four groups of ChAT-positive neurons were observed; the principal intermediolateral nucleus (ILp) in the lateral horn, the central autonomic cell column (CA) dorsal to the central canal, the intercalated nucleus (IC) located between ILp and CA, and the funicular intermediolateral neurons (ILD in the white matter lateral to the ILp. The dendrites of ILp and CA neurons formed substantial longitudinal bundles within each group, as well as transverse bundles between the groups that resembled the rungs of a ladder. ChAT-positive cell bodies were also present in the dorsal horn, and those located in laminae 111-V extended dendrites dorsally into a longitudinal plexus within lamina 111.
Neuroscience Letters, 1995
In the rat choline acet2rltransferase (ChAT)-like immunoreactivity (ChAT-LI) was demonstrated in the dorsal root ganglion (DRG), in the superficial spinal cord and in the subepithelial layer of the ureter using immunohistochemical techniques. In the L1 DRG, 66% of the neurones were ChAT-.LI. They did not express neurofilament immunoreactivity (RT97 negative) but could also contain calcitonin gene-related peptide-like immunoreactivity (CGRP-LI). In the superficial spinal cord and in the subepithelial plexus of the ureter -both areas where high number.,; of fine afferent fibres have been demonstrated -CGRP-LI and ChAT-LI were co-distributed, indicating that ChAT can be found in the peripheral and central endings of small afferents. The data provide morphological evidence that a substantial proportion of afferent fibres are cholinergic.
Brain Research, 1987
The distribution of cholinergic neurons in the region of the cat Edinger-Westphal nucleus (EW) was determined by immunocytochemical localization of the acetylcholine-synthesizing enzyme choline acetyitransferase (CHAT). Neurons containing ChAT-like immunoreactivity (ChAT-LI) were densely distributed within EW, the anteromedian nucleus (AM), and the oculomotor nucleus (III), and were also present in immediately adjacent regions of the periaqueductal gray and ventral tegmental region. The majority of labelled neurons in EW and AM showed a markedly lower intensity of ChAT-LI than the labelled neurons in III and adjacent regions.
The Journal of Comparative Neurology, 1990
The principal relay nuclei of the thalamus receive their cholinergic innervation from two midbrain cholinergic groups: the pedunculopontine tegmental nucleus and the laterodorsal tegmental nucleus. The different thalamic nuclei exhibit populations of cholinergic axons which vary in density and morphology when examined at the light microscopic level. However, the ultrastructure of the cholinergic terminals in different thalamic nuclei has not been described. T'his study was undertaken to confirm that synaptic contacts are formed by cholinergic axons in several principal thalamic relay nuclei, to describe their ultrastructural morphology, and to identify the types of postsynaptic elements contacted by cholinergic synaptic terminals. The thalamic nuclei examined in this study are the dorsal lateral geniculate nucleus, ventroposteromedial nucleus, ventroposterolateral nucleus, and anteroventral nucleus.
The Journal of physiology, 1979
1. The activities of choline acetyltransferase (CAT) and acetylcholinesterase (AChE) were assayed in adult pigeon ciliary ganglia, in the post-synaptic ciliary and choroid nerves, and in ciliary nerve iris terminals isolated from control birds and from animals from which the oculomotor nerve was previously transected. Enzyme activity levels were also measured in the iris terminals after surgical section of the ciliary nerves. From differences in enzyme activity between control and 3-day denervated tissues, the localization of CAT and AChE in pre- and post-synaptic elements of the ganglia and at the iris neuromuscular junctions was estimated. The fate of the preganglionic nerve terminals after denervation was investigated by electron microscopic examination of ganglia after surgical section of the oculomotor nerve.2. The CAT activity in the ganglion was distributed as follows: 60% in presynaptic elements, 31% in cell somas, and 9% in intraganglionic post-synaptic axons; in the iris j...
Alexandria Journal of Veterinary Sciences, 2014
The fact that the splice variant form of choline acetyltransferase (pChAT) is expressed in peripheral organs, including sensory ones, preferentially than the common type (cChAT) is well known. In the current study the possible functional significance of this variant in sensory neurons has been characterized immunohistochemically by investigating the pChAT-immunoreactivity (IR) in the trigeminal ganglia (TG) of the guinea pig. We documented an almost uniform distribution and a considerable number of pChATimmunoreactivity of all trigeminal neurons. The size of pChAT-IR neurons varied from small to medium-size, although large-sized neurons also observed. Most pChAT reactivity was mainly in the cytoplasm with few number of pChAT-IR neurons had nuclear staining. Double immunofluorescent study showed that a great proportion of substance P (SP)-and calcitonin gene-related peptide (CGRP)-positive trigeminal cells showed pChATimmunoreactivity, although those with SP outnumbered those with CGRP. The intracellular expression of pChAT (which differs from that of cChAT) probably reflecting a difference in the physiological roles between pChAT and cChAT in ACh production in distinct intracellular compartments. The present data suggest also that pChAT may play roles other than nociception and may be involved in the sensory functions of the TG neurons.