The innervation of the adrenal gland. IV. The source of pre- and postganglionic nerve fibres to the guinea-pig adrenal gland.
The pre- and postganglionic sympathetic innervation of the guinea-pig adrenal medulla was investigated using the retrograde neuronal tracers Fast Blue and WGA-HRP. Labelled preganglionic cell bodies were located in the intermediolateral horn of spinal segments T3-L2, the majority (73.9%) were found between T6-T12 representing 70.2% of the total number of labelled cells; the segment T10 contained the largest number of labelled neurons. Labelled postganglionic cell bodies were found in the paravertebral ganglia between vertebral levels T3-T12 (representing 22.6% of the total labelled neurons), the maximum number was found at T10. In addition, labelled neurons were found in the suprarenal ganglion (representing 7.2%). No labelled cells were found in the coeliac ganglia. The labelled neurons were found ipsilateral to the site of injection into the left adrenal gland. It is concluded that the guinea-pig adrenal gland receives both a pre- and a significant postganglionic sympathetic innervation. The destination of these nerve fibres within the adrenal gland has yet to be determined.
Department of Human Morphology, Queen's Medical Centre, Nottingham, UK.
T L
TL
Parker
A A
AA
Mohamed
R E
RE
Coupland
D000311:Adrenal Glands / Q000294:innervation*; D000578:Amidines; D000818:Animals; D001338:Autonomic Fibers, Postganglionic / Q000648:ultrastructure*; D001339:Autonomic Fibers, Preganglionic / Q000648:ultrastructure*; D005260:Female; D005728:Ganglia, Sympathetic / Q000033:anatomy & histology; D006168:Guinea Pigs / Q000033:anatomy & histology*; D006735:Horseradish Peroxidase; D008297:Male; D013116:Spinal Cord / Q000033:anatomy & histology; D018998:Wheat Germ Agglutinin-Horseradish Peroxidase Conjugate; D014909:Wheat Germ Agglutinins
D000578:Amidines; D018998:Wheat Germ Agglutinin-Horseradish Peroxidase Conjugate; D014909:Wheat Germ Agglutinins; C031455:diamidino compound 253-50; D006735:Horseradish Peroxidase