Vascular autonomic nerves and corresponding receptors in brain vessels.
Cerebral blood vessels, arteries and veins, are invested with a dense plexus of perivascular nerve fibres containing noradrenaline, acetylcholine esterase vasoactive intestinal polypeptide (VIP), substance P and avain pancreatic polypeptide (APP). The majority of the noradrenaline and APP-containing fibres disappear within one week after sympathectomy, while the other nerve fibres remain. Pharmacological studies of feline pial arteries in vitro have shown the presence of alpha 2- and beta 1- adrenoreceptors mediating contraction and dilatation, respectively. Dilatation can also be obtained by acetylcholine activating muscarinic receptors and by VIP and substance P.
D000109:Acetylcholine / Q000494:pharmacology; D000322:Adrenergic Agonists / Q000494:pharmacology; D000320:Adrenergic Fibers / Q000033:anatomy & histology / Q000648:ultrastructure; D000818:Animals; D001341:Autonomic Nervous System / Q000502:physiology*; D002560:Cerebrovascular Circulation; D002799:Cholinergic Fibers / Q000033:anatomy & histology / Q000648:ultrastructure; D006801:Humans; D017981:Receptors, Neurotransmitter / Q000502:physiology*; D014660:Vasoactive Intestinal Peptide / Q000502:physiology; D014666:Vasomotor System / Q000502:physiology*
D000322:Adrenergic Agonists; D017981:Receptors, Neurotransmitter; D014660:Vasoactive Intestinal Peptide; D000109:Acetylcholine