title: Ultrastructural investigation of nitric oxide synthase-immunoreactive nerves associated with coronary blood vessels of rat and guinea-pig.
abstract: Ultrastructural investigation of nitric oxide synthase-immunoreactive nerves closely associated with blood vessels in rat and guinea-pig hearts revealed many labelled nerve fibres in the walls of the main branches of the coronary arteries, and in arterioles, capillaries and post-capillary venules. The number of nitric oxide synthase-containing nerve fibres associated with different vessels, even those of the same calibre, varied. Terminal regions of nitric oxide synthase-immunoreactive fibres were observed in the endocardium and myocardium. Nitric oxide synthase-labelled fibres displayed electron-dense immunoproduct in both varicose and intervaricose regions. Immunoreactive axonal varicosities contained both small and large synaptic vesicles. The characteristics of the nitric oxide synthase-immunoreactive nerve fibres observed in the heart and the possibility that these fibres represent the processes of intracardiac neurones and/or sensory neurones of extrinsic origin are discussed.
authors.affiliation: Department of Anatomy and Developmental Biology, University College London, UK.
authors.forename: A A
authors.initials: AA
authors.lastname: Sosunov
authors.forename: C J
authors.initials: CJ
authors.lastname: Hassall
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Loesch
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Turmaine
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Burnstock
mesh_terms: D000594:Amino Acid Oxidoreductases / Q000032:analysis*; D000818:Animals; D003331:Coronary Vessels / Q000294:innervation*; D006168:Guinea Pigs; D007150:Immunohistochemistry; D008297:Male; D008854:Microscopy, Electron; D009412:Nerve Fibers / Q000201:enzymology* / Q000648:ultrastructure; D019001:Nitric Oxide Synthase; D051381:Rats; D017207:Rats, Sprague-Dawley
chemical_list: D019001:Nitric Oxide Synthase; D000594:Amino Acid Oxidoreductases