title: Sympathetic innervation of the carotid bifurcation in the rabbit and cat: blood vessels, carotid body and carotid sinus. A fluorescence and electron microscopic study.
abstract: Two postganglionic branches of the superior cervical ganglion enter the area of the carotid bifurcation in the rabbit and the cat. The common and external carotid arteries receive a rich adrenergic nerve supply, which can be demonstrated by fluorophores of biogenic amines appearing after formaldehyde treatment. The internal carotid artery is only sparsely innervated; however, it shows a dense sympathetic supply at the site of pressor receptors. Following removal of the superior cervical ganglion, a total loss of fluorescent adrenergic nerves occurs and degeneration of nerve endings possessing dense core vesicles is conspicuous. These nerve terminals are situated mainly subendothelially in the carotid body sinusoids; they only rarely terminate on type I cells.
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D002339:Carotid Arteries / Q000294:innervation*; D002342:Carotid Artery, External / Q000294:innervation; D002343:Carotid Artery, Internal / Q000294:innervation; D002344:Carotid Body; D002346:Carotid Sinus / Q000294:innervation*; D002415:Cats / Q000033:anatomy & histology*; D005727:Ganglia, Spinal; D009411:Nerve Endings; D011311:Pressoreceptors; D011817:Rabbits / Q000033:anatomy & histology*