title: Choline acetyltransferase-like immunoreactivity in small diameter neurones of the rat dorsal root ganglion.
abstract: In the rat choline acetyltransferase (ChAT)-like immunoreactivity (ChAT-LI) was demonstrated in the dorsal root ganglion (DRG), in the superficial spinal cord and in the subepithelial layer of the ureter using immunohistochemical techniques. In the L1 DRG, 66% of the neurones were ChAT-LI. They did not express neurofilament immunoreactivity (RT97 negative) but could also contain calcitonin gene-related peptide-like immunoreactivity (CGRP-LI). In the superficial spinal cord and in the subepithelial plexus of the ureter--both areas where high numbers of fine afferent fibres have been demonstrated--CGRP-LI and ChAT-LI were co-distributed, indicating that ChAT can be found in the peripheral and central endings of small afferents. The data provide morphological evidence that a substantial proportion of afferent fibres are cholinergic.
authors.affiliation: Physiologisches Institut, Tierärztliche Hochschule, Hannover, Germany.
authors.forename: H
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Sann
authors.forename: P W
authors.initials: PW
authors.lastname: McCarthy
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Mäder
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Schemann
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D015740:Calcitonin Gene-Related Peptide / Q000378:metabolism; D048429:Cell Size; D002795:Choline O-Acetyltransferase / Q000378:metabolism*; D005727:Ganglia, Spinal / Q000166:cytology / Q000201:enzymology* / Q000648:ultrastructure; D007150:Immunohistochemistry; D009474:Neurons / Q000201:enzymology* / Q000648:ultrastructure; D009475:Neurons, Afferent / Q000201:enzymology; D009479:Neuropeptides / Q000378:metabolism; D051381:Rats; D017208:Rats, Wistar
chemical_list: D009479:Neuropeptides; D002795:Choline O-Acetyltransferase; D015740:Calcitonin Gene-Related Peptide