Relationship of the Branches of Cervical Dorsal Root Ganglia and Sympathetic Ganglia in Dominating the Zygapophyseal Joints of Rats / 复旦学报（医学版）

ABSTRACT

Purpose　To study the relationship between sympathetic nerve and the branches of primary sensory neurons in dominating cervical zygapophyseal joints with the HRP retrograde tracing methods.To explore the mechanism of the external intervertebral foramen's cryical nerve compression syndrome with neck-shoulder pain and the symptom of head and face regions.　Methods　8 Wistar rats were used with the right side as experimental side and the left side as control side.5 μl of 30% HRP solution was injected into the C5/C6 cervical zygapophyseal joint capsule of the right side by microinjection syringe and 5 μl of 0.9% normal saline was injected into the left side as control.The animals survived for 48 hours and were killed by perfusing through ascending aorta.The C1-T1 DRG,cervical sympathetic ganglia and trigeminal ganglia on both sides were sectioned by frozen section method,and treated with TMB method.The HRP labeled cells in sections were observed under optical microscope.The classification and count of HRP labeled cells in DRG and cervical sympathetic ganglia on experimental sides were analysed by image pattern analysis system.　Results　There were HRP labeled cells in middle cervical ganglia,inferior cervical ganglia (stellate ganglia) and C5-C7 DRG on experimental sides after HRP injection.Most of the labeled cells were small or middle size.The sum of mean area and the mean optical density of HRP labeled cells were larger in the middle cervical ganglia and C6 DRG than that in inferior cervical ganglia(stellate ganglia) and C5 or C7 DRG separately (P<0.01).There wasn't any HRP labeled cell in C1-T1 DRG of control side and in trigeminal ganglia.　Conclusions　The cervical zygapophyseal joint mainly dominated by the sensory branches of the three cervical nerves next to it and by the branches of the sympathetic nerves.It may be related to the causing of neck-shoulder pain and the symptoms of head and face regions of patients with the external intervertebral foramen's cervical nerve compression