Neurokinin-1 receptor localisation in guinea pig autonomic ganglia

Jennifer P. Messenger, Rebecca L. Anderson, Ian L. Gibbins

    Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

    19 Citations (Scopus)

    Abstract

    We have used multiple-labelling immunohistochemistry and confocal microscopy to determine the distribution of immunoreactivity to the tachykinin neurokinin-1 (NK1) receptors in guinea pig sympathetic ganglia. Although nerve fibres containing immunoreactivity to substance P were common in all ganglia except the superior cervical ganglia, most neurons expressing NK1 receptor immunoreactivity were not closely surrounded by pericellular baskets of substance P-immunoreactive boutons. Conversely, many neurons surrounded by baskets of substance P-immunoreactive boutons lacked NK1 immunoreactivity. In the coeliac and inferior mesenteric ganglia, NK1 receptor expression was restricted almost entirely to noradrenergic neurons that contained somatostatin immunoreactivity and projected to the enteric plexuses. In the lumbar chain and paracervical ganglia, NK1 immunoreactivity was expressed by nonnoradrenergic vasodilator neurons containing immunoreactivity to vasoactive intestinal peptide. Taken together, our results show that sympathetic neurons in different functional pathways express NK1 receptor immunoreactivity. However, the neurons that could respond to endogenously released substance P through NK1 receptors may be distant from presynaptic release sites. These observations suggest that, in sympathetic ganglia, substance P may modulate ganglionic transmission through heterosynaptic actions on NK1 receptors.

    Original languageEnglish
    Pages (from-to)693-704
    Number of pages12
    JournalJournal of Comparative Neurology
    Volume412
    Issue number4
    DOIs
    Publication statusPublished - 4 Oct 1999

    Keywords

    • Heterosynaptic transmission
    • Substance P
    • Sympathetic
    • Tachykinin

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