The cholinergic innervation of the adrenal gland and its relation to enkephalin and nitric oxide synthase.
Using a monoclonal antibody against rat brain choline acetyltransferase (ChAT) the cholinergic innervation of the adult rat adrenal gland was visualized. Almost all ChAT-positive fibres contained nitric oxide synthase (NOS), whereas enkephalin (ENK) was exclusively found in ChAT fibres among adrenaline chromaffin cells. The ChAT/NOS/ENK fibres disappeared after immunological sympathectomy, indicating a preganglionic origin. ChAT was not found in the superficial peptide- and NOS containing fibre plexus in the adrenal cortex or in small or large intra-adrenal ganglion neurones under control conditions. Even after colchicine treatment only one single ChAT-positive small ganglion neurone was found. It is possible, therefore that some small intra-adrenal ganglion neurones, which express NOS- and VIP-like immunoreactivities, are noncholinergic, nonadrenergic neurones.
Holgert
H
H
Department of Neuroscience, Karolinska Institute, Stockholm, Sweden.
Aman
K
K
Cozzari
C
C
Hartman
B K
BK
Brimijoin
S
S
Emson
P
P
Goldstein
M
M
Hökfelt
T
T
D000311:Adrenal Glands / Q000378:metabolism*; D000818:Animals; D002799:Cholinergic Fibers / Q000378:metabolism*; D004745:Enkephalins / Q000378:metabolism*; D007150:Immunohistochemistry; D008297:Male; D019001:Nitric Oxide Synthase / Q000378:metabolism*; D051381:Rats; D017207:Rats, Sprague-Dawley
D004745:Enkephalins; D019001:Nitric Oxide Synthase