title: A part of cholinergic fibers in mouse superior cervical ganglia contain GABA or glutamate.
abstract: The localizations and functions of glutamate and GABA, the major amino acid neurotransmitters in the central nervous system, are still unclear in the peripheral nervous system. We immunohistochemically double-stained mouse superior cervical ganglia with antibodies for the vesicular acetylcholine transporter (VAchT), GAD65, the vesicular glutamate transporters 1-3 (VGluTs1-3), the marker of the sympathetic preganglionic neuron (SPN), GABAergic, and glutamatergic terminals, respectively. All GAD65-positive terminals showed VAchT immunoreactivity, indicating that GABAergic fibers originate from SPNs. VGluT2-immunoreactive terminals showing colocalization with VAchT were observed, but VGluT1 and 3 immunoreactive terminals were not. Colocalization of GAD65 and VGluT2 was rarely found. All VGluT2-immunopositive terminals were also immunopositive for neuronal nitric oxide synthase (nNOS), a marker for the subpopulation of the SPNs, while about half of the GABA-immunopositive fibers were immunopositive for nNOS. The origin of these fibers was discussed.
authors.affiliation: Department of Anatomy, Faculty of Medical Sciences, University of Fukui, Japan. itot@fmsrsa.fukui-med.ac.jp
authors.forename: Tetsufumi
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Ito
authors.forename: Satoshi
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Iino
authors.forename: Yoshiaki
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Nojyo
mesh_terms: D000109:Acetylcholine / Q000378:metabolism; D000818:Animals; D001339:Autonomic Fibers, Preganglionic / Q000378:metabolism*; D002799:Cholinergic Fibers / Q000378:metabolism; D018698:Glutamic Acid / Q000378:metabolism*; D007150:Immunohistochemistry; D008297:Male; D026901:Membrane Transport Proteins / Q000378:metabolism*; D051379:Mice; D017783:Superior Cervical Ganglion / Q000166:cytology / Q000378:metabolism*; D014018:Tissue Distribution; D050494:Vesicular Acetylcholine Transport Proteins; D005680:gamma-Aminobutyric Acid / Q000378:metabolism*
chemical_list: D026901:Membrane Transport Proteins; C493460:Slc18a3 protein, mouse; D050494:Vesicular Acetylcholine Transport Proteins; D018698:Glutamic Acid; D005680:gamma-Aminobutyric Acid; D000109:Acetylcholine