title: Dopamine-beta-hydroxylase-, neurotensin-, substance P-, vasoactive intestinal polypeptide- and enkephalin-immunohistochemistry of paravertebral and prevertebral ganglia in the cat.
abstract: Para- and prevertebral ganglia of the cat were investigated for immunoreactivity (IR) against neurotensin (NT), vasoactive intestinal polypeptide (VIP), substance P (SP) and enkephalin (ENK). Dopamine-beta-hydroxylase-(DBH)-IR was studied in consecutive sections to correlate the distribution of noradrenergic/adrenergic neurons with that of peptidergic nerve fibres and cells. In paravertebral (cervical and thoracic) ganglia, NT-IR or ENK-IR nerve fibres were seen in areas in which DBH-IR fibre networks also occurred. NT-IR varicosities were often in close contact with perikarya of principal ganglionic cells on which DBH-IR varicosities also terminated. Such an association was rarely seen between ENK-IR and DBH-IR fibre baskets. NT-IR and ENK-IR fibre baskets were not found to occur around the same principal ganglionic cell. The distribution of VIP-IR and SP-IR nerve fibres did not coincide with that of DBH-IR fibres. In prevertebral ganglia (celiac-superior mesenteric and inferior mesenteric) DBH-IR or VIP-IR varicosities surrounded the majority of principal ganglionic neurons. ENK-IR or SP-IR fibres were closely associated with only a minority of the neurons; NT-IR networks were rather sparse. Some principal neurons were approached by DBH-IR fibres and by different peptide-IR fibres. In paravertebral ganglia some principal ganglionic cells contained VIP-IR, a few of which were also surrounded by NT-IR varicosities. VIP-IR perikarya in prevertebral ganglia were extremely rare. No NT-IR, SP-IR or ENK-IR principal ganglionic cells were found. Glomus-like paraganglionic cell clusters in paravertebral and prevertebral ganglia exhibited DBH-IR cell bodies.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D002415:Cats; D004299:Dopamine beta-Hydroxylase / Q000378:metabolism*; D004745:Enkephalins / Q000032:analysis*; D005727:Ganglia, Spinal / Q000166:cytology / Q000378:metabolism*; D009474:Neurons / Q000166:cytology; D009496:Neurotensin / Q000032:analysis*; D013373:Substance P / Q000032:analysis*; D014660:Vasoactive Intestinal Peptide / Q000032:analysis*
chemical_list: D004745:Enkephalins; D013373:Substance P; D014660:Vasoactive Intestinal Peptide; D009496:Neurotensin; D004299:Dopamine beta-Hydroxylase