title: Human laryngeal ganglia contain both sympathetic and parasympathetic cell types.
abstract: The presence of ganglia associated with the laryngeal nerves is well documented. In man, these ganglia have been less well studied than in other species and, in particular, the cell types within these ganglia are less well characterized. Using a panel of antibodies to a variety of markers found in the paraganglion cells of other species, we were able to show the existence of at least two populations of cells within human laryngeal paraganglia. One population contained chromogranin and tyrosine hydroxylase representing a neurosecretory population possibly secreting dopamine. A second population of choline acetyltransferase positive cells would appear to have a putative parasympathetic function. Further work is needed to characterize these cell populations more fully before it will be possible to assign functions to these cell types but our results are consistent with the postulated functions of these ganglia as chemoreceptors, neurosecretory cells, and regulators of laryngeal mucus secretion.
authors.affiliation: Universidad Complutense de Madrid, Departamento de Anatomía y Embriología Humana I, Madrid, Spain.
authors.forename: Marta
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Ibanez
authors.forename: Francisco J
authors.initials: FJ
authors.lastname: Valderrama-Canales
authors.forename: Eva
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Maranillo
authors.forename: Teresa
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Vazquez
authors.forename: Arán
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Pascual-Font
authors.forename: Stephen
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: McHanwell
authors.forename: Jose
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Sanudo
mesh_terms: D015415:Biomarkers / Q000378:metabolism; D015740:Calcitonin Gene-Related Peptide / Q000378:metabolism; D002795:Choline O-Acetyltransferase / Q000378:metabolism; D053379:Chromogranin A / Q000378:metabolism; D005726:Ganglia, Parasympathetic / Q000033:anatomy & histology* / Q000378:metabolism; D005728:Ganglia, Sympathetic / Q000033:anatomy & histology* / Q000378:metabolism; D006801:Humans; D007124:Immunoenzyme Techniques; D007823:Laryngeal Nerves / Q000033:anatomy & histology* / Q000378:metabolism; D007830:Larynx / Q000033:anatomy & histology*; D009478:Neuropeptide Y / Q000378:metabolism; D013194:Staining and Labeling; D013373:Substance P / Q000378:metabolism; D014446:Tyrosine 3-Monooxygenase / Q000378:metabolism; D014660:Vasoactive Intestinal Peptide / Q000378:metabolism
chemical_list: D015415:Biomarkers; D053379:Chromogranin A; D009478:Neuropeptide Y; D013373:Substance P; D014660:Vasoactive Intestinal Peptide; D014446:Tyrosine 3-Monooxygenase; D002795:Choline O-Acetyltransferase; D015740:Calcitonin Gene-Related Peptide