Preganglionic parasympathetic neurons projecting to the sphenopalatine ganglion contain nitric oxide synthase in the rabbit

    Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

    23 Citations (Scopus)

    Abstract

    We have investigated the possible presence of nitric oxide synthase (NOS) and choline acetyltransferase (ChAT) in brainstem preganglionic parasympathetic neurons projecting to the sphenopalatine ganglion in rabbits, using combined retrograde axonal tracing and immunohistochemistry. Retrogradely labeled neurons were observed in the ipsilateral rostral medulla and caudal pons, in a region laterodorsal to the facial motor nucleus. Double-labeling experiments demonstrated that 75 ± 5% of retrogradely labeled neurons contained NOS immunoreactivity, while all of retrogradely labeled neurons contained ChAT immunoreactivity. These observations suggest that nitric oxide could influence cholinergic transmission from preganglionic endings in the sphenopalatine ganglion.

    Original languageEnglish
    Pages (from-to)168-172
    Number of pages5
    JournalBrain Research
    Volume769
    Issue number1
    DOIs
    Publication statusPublished - 19 Sept 1997

    Keywords

    • Brainstem
    • Choline acetyltransferase
    • Nitric oxide synthase
    • Parasympathetic pathway
    • Retrograde tracing
    • Sphenopalatine ganglion

    Fingerprint

    Dive into the research topics of 'Preganglionic parasympathetic neurons projecting to the sphenopalatine ganglion contain nitric oxide synthase in the rabbit'. Together they form a unique fingerprint.

    Cite this