THE INNERVATION OF THE ANTERIOR WALL OF THE STOMACH IN THE RABBIT. A STUDY WITH THE HRP METHOD / 解剖学报

ABSTRACT

10% and 20% HRP aqueous solution was injected into the anterior wall of the stomach of rabbit, and both the afferent and efferent nerve connections of this region were examined.1. Large number of labeled cells appeared in the dorsal motor nucleus of the vagus nerve (dmnX) on both sides throughout its whole length, except the very rostral and caudal ends of it. The labeled cells were more numerous in the middle part of the nucleus at levels above and below the obex. The distribution of the labeled cells showed certain localization characteristics. Those in the caudal part of the nucleus occupied the medial portion, those in the levels around the obex distributed widely in the nucleus, while in the rostral part they were smaller in number and showed no definite localization.2. In the area between the dorsomedial border of the dmnX and the area pos- trema, the so-called area subpostrema, some disseminated labeled cells, the form of which was similar to that the labeled cells in the dmnX, were also observed.3. Numerous labeled cells appeared in the nodose ganglia on both sides, the number of which was several times more than that in the spinal ganglia, indicating that the afferent connection of the stomach via the vagus nerve predominated over that via the sympathetic nerve. The small-sized labeled cells in the ganglion, however, appeared up to more than 40% of all the labeled cells in it, the functional significance of them, as well as the relation between them and the labeled small cells in the spinal ganglia, is worth further investigation.4. The labeled neurons appeared in the spinal ganglia from Th_3 to L_3, most of them were in Th_3 to Th_(10), showing that the afferents of the stomach via the sympathetic system were diffusely arranged and at the same time concentrated in certain segments.5. Our observations confirmed that the stomach is innervated by elements of bilateral origin. In the vagus system the afferent and efferent neurons appeared almost equally in both dmnX and both nodose ganglia. And in the sympathetic system, the afferent neurons on the left side were 1 to 2 times more than those on the right, i. e., the left side is predominant.