NADPH-diaphorase-positive nerve fibers associated with motor endplates in the rat esophagus: new evidence for co-innervation of striated muscle by enteric neurons |
| |
Authors: | Winfried L Neuhuber Jürgen Wörl Hans-Rudolf Berthoud Bruno Conte |
| |
Institution: | (1) Institute of Anatomy, University of Zürich, Switzerland;(2) Anatomisches Institut, Universität Erlangen-Nürnberg, Germany;(3) Pennington Biomedical Research Center, Louisiana State University, Baton Rouge, USA;(4) Menarini Pharmaceuticals, Pomezia, Italy;(5) Anatomisches Institut, Universität Erlangen-Nürnberg, Krankenhausstrasse 9, D-91054 Erlangen, Germany |
| |
Abstract: | NADPH-diaphorase histochemistry was combined with demonstration of acetylcholinesterase and immunocytochemistry for calcitonin gene-related peptide to study esophageal innervation in the rat. Most of the myenteric neurons stained positively for NADPH-diaphorase, as did numerous varicose nerve fibers in the myenteric plexus, among striated muscle fibers, around arterial blood vessels, and in the muscularis mucosae. A majority of motor endplates (as demonstrated by acetylcholinesterase histochemistry or calcitonin gene-related peptide immunocytochemistry) were associated with fine varicose NADPH-diaphorase-positive nerve fibers. Analysis of brainstem nuclei, sensory vagal, spinal, and sympathetic ganglia in normal and neonatally capsaicin-treated rats, and comparison with anterogradely labeled vagal branchiomotor, preganglionic and sensory fibers led to the conclusion that NADPH-diaphorase-positive fibers on motor endplates originate in esophageal myenteric neurons. No association of NADPH-diaphorasepositive nerve fibers with motor endplates was found in other organs containing striated muscle. These results suggest extensive, presumably nitrergic, co-innervation of esophageal striated muscle fibers by enteric neurons. Thus, control of peristalsis in the esophagus of the rat may be more complex than hitherto assumed. |
| |
Keywords: | Esophagus Motor innervation NADPH-diaphorase Enteric nervous system Nucleus ambiguus Anterograde tracing Rat (Wistar) |
本文献已被 SpringerLink 等数据库收录! |
|