OBSERVATIONS ON THE INNERVATION RAT SUBCUTANOUS TISSUE BY MEANS OF HISTOCHEMICAL DEMONSTRATION OF CATECHOLAMINE FLUORESCENCE AND CHOLINESTERASES / 解剖学报

ABSTRACT

The stretched preparation of subcutanous tissue of 120 male rats were observed by means of histochemical methods for separate and consecutive demonstration of norepinephrine and cholinesterase (ChE). In addition to adrenergic nerves, there are acetylcholinesterase (AChE) containing nerves surrounding the small arteries and arterioles. AChE is recongnized as a marker of cholinergic nerves in rat subcutanous tissue. After sympathetic gangliectomy, all adrenergic and most of cholinergic nerves disappeared, we suggested that both of them are terminals of sympathetic postganglionic nerve fibers. Using the method for the consecutive demonstration of norepinephrine (NE) and AChE, it showed a dual innervation at the same site of an arteriole, most of them are superimposed each other, their distribution were just the same; but the other one third were not. The latter is a separate sympathetic cholinergic system. Whether these superimposed terminals were coming from different neurons and travelling in the Schwann cell or they contained two kinds of neurotransmitters in the same neuron terminal were discussed.By the small arteries and arterioles of rat subcutanous tissue, there were many ChE-positive nerves, which were sensitive to iso-OMPA inhibition. Such thin unmyelineted nerve fibers are mainly non-cholinergic. They showed a variety of free nerve endings in the martrix of connective tissue, and they can be traced, in association with the whole course, to the small spinal nerve trunk that travelling in subcutanous tissue. We consider that these ChE-positive nerves and their terminals are sensory components of cerebrospinal fibers. It has been observed that some of free nerve endings are superimposed with adrenergic paravascular plexus by means of consecutive method.