title: Sympathetic and sensory innervation of small intensely fluorescent (SIF) cells in rat superior cervical ganglion.
abstract: The sympathetic ganglion contains small intensely fluorescent (SIF) cells derived from the neural crest. We morphologically characterize SIF cells and focus on their relationship with ganglionic cells, preganglionic nerve fibers and sensory nerve endings. SIF cells stained intensely for tyrosine hydroxylase (TH), with a few cells also being immunoreactive for dopamine β-hydroxylase (DBH). Vesicular acetylcholine transporter (VAChT)-immunoreactive puncta were distributed around some clusters of SIF cells, whereas some SIF cells closely abutted DBH-immunoreactive ganglionic cells. SIF cells contained bassoon-immunoreactive products beneath the cell membrane at the attachments and on opposite sites to the ganglionic cells. Ganglion neurons and SIF cells were immunoreactive to dopamine D2 receptors. Immunohistochemistry for P2X3 revealed ramified nerve endings with P2X3 immunoreactivity around SIF cells. Triple-labeling for P2X3, TH and VAChT allowed the classification of SIF cells into three types based on their innervation: (1) with only VAChT-immunoreactive puncta, (2) with only P2X3-immunoreactive nerve endings, (3) with both P2X3-immunoreactive nerve endings and VAChT-immunoreactive puncta. The results of retrograde tracing with fast blue dye indicated that most of these nerve endings originated from the petrosal ganglion. Thus, SIF cells in the superior cervical ganglion are innervated by preganglionic fibers and glossopharyngeal sensory nerve endings and can be classified into three types. SIF cells might modulate sympathetic activity in the superior cervical ganglion.
authors.affiliation: Laboratory of Veterinary Anatomy and Cell Biology, Faculty of Agriculture, Iwate University, 3-18-8 Ueda, Morioka, Iwate, 020-8550, Japan.
authors.forename: Fumiya
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Takaki
authors.affiliation: Laboratory of Veterinary Anatomy and Cell Biology, Faculty of Agriculture, Iwate University, 3-18-8 Ueda, Morioka, Iwate, 020-8550, Japan.
authors.forename: Nobuaki
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Nakamuta
authors.affiliation: Laboratory for Anatomy and Physiology, Department of Sport and Medical Science, Kokushikan University, Tama, Tokyo, 206-8515, Japan.
authors.forename: Tatsumi
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Kusakabe
authors.affiliation: Laboratory of Veterinary Anatomy and Cell Biology, Faculty of Agriculture, Iwate University, 3-18-8 Ueda, Morioka, Iwate, 020-8550, Japan. yyoshio@iwate-u.ac.jp.
authors.forename: Yoshio
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Yamamoto
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D005453:Fluorescence; D007150:Immunohistochemistry; D008297:Male; D008954:Models, Biological; D017208:Rats, Wistar; D017448:Receptors, Dopamine D2 / Q000378:metabolism; D058477:Receptors, Purinergic P2X3 / Q000378:metabolism; D011984:Sensory Receptor Cells / Q000166:cytology / Q000378:metabolism*; D017783:Superior Cervical Ganglion / Q000166:cytology* / Q000378:metabolism*; D014446:Tyrosine 3-Monooxygenase / Q000378:metabolism; D050494:Vesicular Acetylcholine Transport Proteins / Q000378:metabolism
chemical_list: D017448:Receptors, Dopamine D2; D058477:Receptors, Purinergic P2X3; D050494:Vesicular Acetylcholine Transport Proteins; D014446:Tyrosine 3-Monooxygenase