title: Segmental organization of sympathetic preganglionic neurons in the mammalian spinal cord.
abstract: We have used retrograde transport of horseradish peroxidase to determine the distribution of the preganglionic cell bodies whose axons join particular rami of the thoracic spinal cord in a series of guinea pigs, and in a small number of hamsters and cats. In contrast to other recent studies, our results show that the neurons sending axons to a ramus are confined to a single segment at the corresponding spinal level. This segmental organization supports the idea that the rostro-caudal position of preganglionic cell bodies is one determinant of selective synapse formation between preganglionic axons and sympathetic ganglion cells.
mesh_terms: D000320:Adrenergic Fibers / Q000033:anatomy & histology*; D000818:Animals; D001339:Autonomic Fibers, Preganglionic / Q000033:anatomy & histology*; D001369:Axons / Q000648:ultrastructure; D002415:Cats; D006224:Cricetinae; D005728:Ganglia, Sympathetic / Q000033:anatomy & histology; D051379:Mice; D009474:Neurons / Q000648:ultrastructure; D013116:Spinal Cord / Q000033:anatomy & histology*; D013569:Synapses / Q000648:ultrastructure