Increase in the number of non-neuronal cells in superior cervical ganglia of developing rats after contralateral ganglionectomy.
The left superior cervical ganglion of 3-day-old rats was subjected to preganglionic nerve division, ganglionectomy, or sham operation, while the right ganglion was left intact. Thirty days later, both the left and the right ganglia were perfusion-fixed and examined for weight and volume, as well as for the number and the density of the principal nerve cells and the non-neuronal cells. The small intensely fluorescent cells were counted from a separate set of freeze-dried ganglia. Unilateral preganglionic nerve division caused in the left operated side a significant loss of ganglion weight and volume due to a decreased number of non-neuronal cells, while no significant changes occurred in the right intact ganglion. Unilateral left ganglionectomy caused a significant increase in the mean ganglion weight and in the number and the density of the non-neuronal cells in the right intact ganglion, while the number and the density of the principal nerve cells and the small intensely fluorescent cells were not affected by this operation. It is suggested that normal development of the ganglionic satellite cells requires the presence of normally innervated principal cells. Furthermore, unilateral ganglionectomy induces a greater than normal proliferation of the satellite cells contralaterally, possibly by causing an increase in the activity of the contralateral ganglion.
D000818:Animals; D002452:Cell Count; D005260:Female; D005728:Ganglia, Sympathetic / Q000166:cytology / Q000254:growth & development / Q000601:surgery*; D008297:Male; D009929:Organ Size; D051381:Rats; D011919:Rats, Inbred Strains