title: Decreased vasoactive intestinal polypeptide-immunoreactivity of parasympathetic neurons and target innervation following long-term sympathectomy.
abstract: Following long-term sympathectomy, parasympathetic neurons show increased expression of some catecholaminergic traits. The objective of this study was to determine if, in addition, expression of vasoactive intestinal polypeptide immunoreactivity (VIP-ir) is suppressed in parasympathetic neurons and a glandular target of the rat. Studies were conducted on the rat pterygopalatine ganglion and meibomian gland; the meibomian gland contains dense innervation that is strongly VIP-ir, and 99% of the VIP-ir neurons projecting to this target reside within the pterygopalatine ganglion. Two months following unilateral superior cervical ganglionectomy on postnatal day 30, DBH-ir fibers normally present within the eyelid were absent and there was a marked reduction in number and staining intensity of VIP-ir fibers within the meibomian gland. The percentage of pterygopalatine ganglion neurons displaying DBH-ir was increased from 43 +/- 4 to 65 +/- 2%. However, the percentage of parasympathetic neurons expressing VIP-ir was decreased from 96 +/- 4% to 76 +/- 1%. We conclude that sympathectomy not only enhances expression of some catecholaminergic traits but also suppresses VIP-ir within pterygopalatine ganglion parasympathetic neurons and meibomian gland target.
authors.affiliation: Department of Physiology, University of Kansas Medical Center, Kansas City 66160-7401.
authors.forename: Q
authors.initials: Q
authors.lastname: Fan
authors.forename: P G
authors.initials: PG
authors.lastname: Smith
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D004299:Dopamine beta-Hydroxylase / Q000378:metabolism; D005726:Ganglia, Parasympathetic / Q000378:metabolism / Q000502:physiology*; D007150:Immunohistochemistry; D008537:Meibomian Glands / Q000294:innervation*; D051381:Rats; D017207:Rats, Sprague-Dawley; D013562:Sympathectomy; D014660:Vasoactive Intestinal Peptide / Q000378:metabolism*
chemical_list: D014660:Vasoactive Intestinal Peptide; D004299:Dopamine beta-Hydroxylase