title: Intrinsic pancreatic nerves after mechanical denervation of the extrinsic pancreatic nerves in dogs.
abstract: Little is known about the influence of cutting the extrinsic pancreatic nerves on the morphology and function of the intrapancreatic nerves in dogs. For this reason, intrapancreatic nerves of mongrel dogs were studied, using electron microscopy and immunohistochemistry, after truncal vagotomy, after celiac and superior mesenteric ganglionectomy, and after a combination of both operations, i.e., removing all extrinsic nerves of the pancreas. Dogs with intact extrinsic and intrinsic pancreatic nerves served as controls. Studies were performed 1-2 weeks and up to 5 months after one or both denervation procedures. For immunohistochemical and electron microscopic studies the animals were perfused with glutaraldehyde-formaldehyde-picric acid solution and the tissue was embedded in Epon or paraffin. Both immunohistochemical and electron microscopic studies revealed that signs of degenerating intrapancreatic nerves occurred only in the early phase (up to 30 days) after operation. After 60 days, hypertrophy of pancreatic nerve fibers was observed. The most striking finding was that the integrity of the intrapancreatic ganglia and nerves was almost preserved after complete extrinsic denervation. In controls there was a strong intrapancreatic innervation with vasoactive intestinal polypeptide (VIP) and peptide histidine isoleucine (PHI), substance P (SP), and neuropeptide Y (NPY) nerves. SP and NPY-nerves significantly decreased after the different denervation procedures, but the other peptidergic nerves were not altered by truncal vagotomy, ganglionectomy, or the combination of both procedures. We conclude that the dog pancreas contains extensive intrinsic peptidergic nerves, which, with the exception of SP and NPY-nerves, are greatly independent of the integrity of the extrinsic nerves.
authors.affiliation: Department of Medicine, University of Essen, Federal Republic of Germany.
authors.forename: H J
authors.initials: HJ
authors.lastname: Hüchtebrock
authors.forename: W
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Niebel
authors.forename: M V
authors.initials: MV
authors.lastname: Singer
authors.forename: W G
authors.initials: WG
authors.lastname: Forssmann
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D003714:Denervation; D004285:Dogs; D005260:Female; D005728:Ganglia, Sympathetic / Q000601:surgery; D015171:Ganglionectomy; D007124:Immunoenzyme Techniques; D008854:Microscopy, Electron; D009412:Nerve Fibers / Q000737:chemistry; D009478:Neuropeptide Y / Q000032:analysis; D010179:Pancreas / Q000737:chemistry / Q000294:innervation* / Q000648:ultrastructure; D010451:Peptide PHI / Q000032:analysis; D013373:Substance P / Q000032:analysis; D015167:Vagotomy, Truncal; D014660:Vasoactive Intestinal Peptide / Q000032:analysis
chemical_list: D009478:Neuropeptide Y; D010451:Peptide PHI; D013373:Substance P; D014660:Vasoactive Intestinal Peptide