Lack of correlation between ultrastructural and pharmacological types of non-adrenergic autonomic nerves

Structure and composition of pulmonary arteries, capillaries, and veins

The pulmonary vasculature comprises three anatomic compartments connected in series: the arterial tree, an extensive capillary bed, and the venular tree. Although, in general, this vasculature is thin-walled, structure is nonetheless complex. Contributions to structure (and thus potentially to function) from cells other than endothelial and smooth muscle cells as well as those from the extracellular matrix should be considered. This review is multifaceted, bringing together information regarding (i) classification of pulmonary vessels, (ii) branching geometry in the pulmonary vascular tree, (iii) a quantitative view of structure based on morphometry of the vascular wall, (iv) the relationship of nerves, a variety of interstitial cells, matrix proteins, and striated myocytes to smooth muscle and endothelium in the vascular wall, (v) heterogeneity within cell populations and between vascular compartments, (vi) homo- and heterotypic cell-cell junctional complexes, and (vii) the relation of the pulmonary vasculature to that of airways. These issues for pulmonary vascular structure are compared, when data is available, across species from human to mouse and shrew. Data from studies utilizing vascular casting, light and electron microscopy, as well as models developed from those data, are discussed. Finally, the need for rigorous quantitative approaches to study of vascular structure in lung is highlighted.

Biology of the anococcygeus muscle

The anococcygeus is a smooth muscle tissue of the urogenital tract which, in the male, runs on to form the retractor penis. The motor innervation is classically sympathetic with noradrenaline as transmitter, but the relaxant parasympathetic transmitter has only recently been identified as nitric oxide. Indeed, the anococcygeus has provided an extremely useful model with which to probe the mechanisms underlying this novel nitrergic system, including the importance of physiological antioxidants in maintaining the potency of nitric oxide as a neurotransmitter. The cellular mechanisms of contraction and relaxation are slowly being clarified, with particular interest in the contribution of capacitative calcium entry and the guanylyl cyclase/cyclic GMP system. Many questions remain unanswered, however, including the precise physiological role of the muscle, the identity of substances released from subcellular vesicles of nitrergic nerves, the unusual sensitivity of the tissue to certain peptides (oxytocin and urotensin II), and the nature of store-operated channels through which calcium enters the cell to maintain contraction.

Specialised sympathetic neuroeffector associations in rat iris arterioles

Vascular sympathetic neuroeffector associations have been examined in rat iris arterioles using serial section electron microscopy and reconstruction techniques. Examination of random sections showed that, of all profiles of varicosities (199) seen to lie closer than 4 microns to vascular smooth muscle cells, only a small proportion (29/199) were found in close association with vascular smooth muscle cells, where adjacent membranes were separated by less than 100 nm. However, serial section examination, from intervaricose region to intervaricose region, of 79 varicosities similarly observed lying within 4 microns of vascular smooth muscle cells showed that 54 formed close associations with vascular smooth muscle cells. In serial sections, all these varicosities were also closely associated with melanocytes and of the 25 remaining varicosities, 22 formed close associations with melanocytes alone, whilst 3 did not come into close association with any effector cell. The increased observation of close associations with vascular smooth muscle cells in serial sections, compared with random sections, is consistent with the demonstration that the area of contact only occupies, on average, a small percentage (5%) of the total surface area of the varicosity as seen in the 3-dimensional reconstructions. In both random and serial sections, close associations were observed between varicosities and vascular smooth muscle cells or melanocytes irrespective of whether fibres were present singly or in small nerve bundles. Three-dimensional reconstruction of associations of varicosities and vascular smooth muscle cells demonstrated several common features, such as accumulations of synaptic vesicles and loss of Schwann cell covering at the region of membrane facing the effector cell. The similarity in the appearance of the neuroeffector association seen in this study and those described in previous studies provides evidence for the existence of a common sympathetic neuroeffector association, irrespective of the receptor subtype involved in neurotransmission.

Projections of intrinsic cardiac neurons to different targets in the guinea-pig heart

We set out to determine the projections of the major immunohistochemically-defined populations of intrinsic cardiac neurons to different target tissues within the guinea-pig heart. Ultrastructural studies, and immunoreactivity to the neuronal marker, neuron-specific enolase, suggested that the number of axons of intrinsic neurons in most regions of the heart was low when compared with the populations of axons projecting from extrinsic sensory and sympathetic ganglia. Multiple-labelling immunofluorescence was used to demonstrate the terminals of the major populations of peptide-containing intrinsic neurons. The intrinsic nature of peptide-containing axons was confirmed by long-term organotypic culture of cardiac tissue, which resulted in degeneration of axons of extrinsic neurons. The relative density and peptide content of intrinsic axons throughout the heart was not consistent with the relative proportions of peptide-containing intracardiac nerve cell bodies observed previously. The most commonly-encountered axons contained immunoreactivity (IR) to vasoactive intestinal peptide (VIP) alone, although nerve cell bodies with VIP constituted less than 5% of the total population of intrinsic neurons. Populations of axons containing IR to somatostatin alone, somatostatin and substance P, neuropeptide Y (NPY) alone, somatostatin and NPY, or VIP and NPY, also were observed. Intrinsic axons containing substance P-IR were very rare, much more so than would be predicted from the peptide content of intrinsic nerve cell bodies. The regions of the heart with the most dense innervation by axons of intrinsic neurons were the cardiac valves, the atrio-ventricular node and the sino-atrial node. Each of these targets was innervated by several populations of peptide-containing axons. Thus, each population of peptide-containing intrinsic neurons projected to a variety of target tissues within the heart. One possible interpretation of these results is that immunohistochemically-distinct populations of intrinsic neurons belong to different functional classes of neurons (sensory neurons, interneurons, final motor neurons), each of which innervates many regions of the heart.

Electrical field stimulation-mediated relaxation of rabbit middle cerebral artery. Evidence of a cholinergic endothelium-dependent component

The effects of electrical field stimulation (EFS) of rabbit middle cerebral arteries were examined using wire-mounted arterial segments. EFS of segments maintained at rest tension caused a tetrodotoxin-sensitive sympathetic contraction. In agonist-contracted segments maintained at approximately 60% of tissue maximum force, EFS caused a relaxation in two thirds of the preparations. Maximum response (mean +/- SEM) was 33 +/- 3.5% of maximal relaxation. The EFS relaxation was tetrodotoxin-sensitive but was not blocked by either chronic surgical sympathectomy or exposure to guanethidine (5 microM). Electron microscopy of chromaffin-fixed arterial sections showed the presence of chromaffin-positive large and small vesicles. Within the same sheath of Schwann were also a smaller number of nerve profiles containing many small clear vesicles. Removal of the vascular endothelium or treatment with atropine (10 nM) eliminated the EFS relaxation in approximately 50% of the segments and reduced the response in another 35-40%; in the remainder, relaxation was unaffected. Combined data for endothelium removal and atropine treatment showed that each caused a significant (p less than 0.01) reduction in the EFS relaxation. Atropine also significantly reduced EFS relaxation in guanethidine-treated segments. There was no reduction in EFS relaxation after procedures that antagonized ATP- or substance P-mediated relaxations. These results indicate that EFS of precontracted rabbit middle cerebral artery causes a neurogenic nonadrenergic relaxation. The neuroeffector mechanism mediating this response has a predominantly cholinergic endothelium-dependent component as well as a noncholinergic endothelium-independent component.

Neuroepithelial endocrine cells in the lung of Ambystoma mexicanum

Neuroepithelial endocrine (NEE) cells were for the first time identified in the lung of the entirely aquatic urodele, Ambystoma mexicanum, by using light and electron microscopy, histochemistry, and immunocytochemistry. In the basal part of the ciliated epithelium and, less often, in the respiratory portion of the lung, NEE cells were found to occur both solitarily and in small clusters. No typical neuroepithelial bodies could be found. Using the method of Fernandez Pascual, some NEE cells were found to be argyrophilic. Microspectrofluorimetric analysis of formaldehyde-induced fluorescence and immunocytochemistry revealed the presence of 5-hydroxytryptamine. With antibodies to neuron-specific enolase only a few NEE cells exhibited a faint immunostaining. Electron-microscopically, the NEE cells are provided with distinctive cytoplasmic membrane-bound dense granules of variable size, which gave a positive argentaffin reaction. The images of emiocytotic granule release are indicative of a secretory function. In the tracheal epithelium. NEE cells seem to occur only solitarily. They bear the same ultrastructural characteristics as the intrapulmonary NEE cells but here, the dense granules are larger and associated with numerous bundles of microfilaments. Intraepithelial nerve endings were observed near the airway lumen. Between nerve terminals and NEE cells, synaptic complexes with aggregations of clear-centered vesicles close to the presynaptic membrane thickenings were observed. In addition, some nerve endings from "reciprocal synapses" with NEE cells. A receptosecretory function for NEE cells in the lung of A. mexicanum is supposed.

Vagal paraganglia of the rat

Paraganglia are associated with every branch of the rat vagus nerve except the pharyngeal branch. Some of the paraganglia closely resemble the glomus caroticum, whereas others appear like small, intensely fluorescent (SIF) cells of autonomic ganglia. The paraganglionic cells of SIF cell-like bodies (SLB) store catecholamines (the most abundant is probably noradrenaline) and in some cases neurotensin. The innervation pattern of SLB is variable and their physiological role remains unclear. Paraganglionic cells of glomus-like bodies (GLB) predominantly store dopamine and probably also to a lesser extent noradrenaline. These putative chemoreceptor organs receive sensory innervation from nodose ganglion neurons as revealed by degeneration experiments and by anterograde neuronal tracing. Substance P- and calcitonin gene-related peptide-immunoreactive fibres seen in the region of vascular entry into the GLB may account for some of these sensory fibres, but the peptide/classical transmitter stored in sensory terminals synapsing on paraganglionic cells is unknown. Ultrastructural immunocytochemistry revealed vasoactive intestinal polypeptide (VIP)-immunoreactive fibres lying in the interstitial space between paraganglionic cells and large capillaries. These fibres may originate from VIP-immunoreactive neurons, being frequently attached to GLB. The major difference between GLB and the glomus caroticum concerns their blood supply and related innervation: Arteries and arterioles do not penetrate into GLB and, accordingly, noradrenaline- and neuropeptide Y-containing nerve fibres are lacking within GLB. This peculiar arrangement of paraganglionic parenchyma and arterial blood supply may be one of the reasons for the different physiological properties of vagal and carotid arterial chemoreceptors.

Autonomic innervation of the arteriovenous anastomoses in the dog tongue. A histochemical and ultrastructural study

The innervation of the arteriovenous anastomoses in the dog tongue has been investigated. At the light-microscopic level, the vessels were found to be densely supplied with adrenergic and AChE-positive nerve plexuses and less densely with the quinacrine-binding nerve plexus. At the electron-microscopic level, at least two apparently different types of axon profiles were identified: Small vesicle-containing axons, characterized by many small granular vesicles, variable numbers of small clear vesicles and large granular vesicles. Storage of endogenous amines and uptake of exogenous amines into most small granular vesicles and many large granular vesicles was demonstrated. These axons stained only lightly with reaction products for AChE activity and thus seemed to be adrenergic in nature. Some axons contained numerous large granular vesicles, whose cores occasionally stained with uranyl ions; this suggests a co-localization of ATP or peptides as neurotransmitters. Small granular vesicle-free axons, containing small clear vesicles and large granular vesicles in variable ratio. Most cores of these large granular vesicles were heavily stained with uranyl ions. No storage or uptake of amine into the synaptic vesicles was detected. Some axons appeared to be typically cholinergic, some, typically non-adrenergic, non-cholinergic, and the rest, intermediate between the two. All axons stained heavily with reaction products for AChE activity, suggesting their cholinergic nature.

Control of human colonic motor function

Human colonic motility is governed by control mechanisms involving the electrical activity of the smooth muscle cell membranes, the intrinsic and extrinsic nervous activity, and hormonal action. The structural bases for neural and myogenic control have not been demonstrated. However, gap junctions are lacking between muscle cells, and nerves are not close to smooth muscle cells. The myogenic control, as observed in vitro, is described and compared with results obtained from different in vivo techniques. In vitro and in vivo measurements are critically evaluated, and a reconciliation between them attempted. No appropriate animal model is available to help resolve different findings and interpretations. Neural control of colon motility is exerted probably through modulation of myogenic activity as well as directly. The activities of extrinsic nerves, intrinsic motor nerves and afferent nerves are integrated within the colon, at prevertebral ganglia and in the spinal cord in animals, but similar data are not available for the human. There is a lack of studies directly relating transit to motility and conventional beliefs need reexamination.

Catecholamine-containing neurons and lymphoid cells in a lacrimal gland of the pigeon

The Harderian gland of birds, a major lacrimal gland, contains a large population of lymphoid cells that produce IgA, a significant component of tears. Using histochemical techniques, we have examined the innervation of the gland. There was an extensive acetylcholine-esterase positive fiber network throughout the gland. However, catecholamine positive fibers were seen mainly associated with peripheral blood vessels and the lymphoid cell population which contained autofluorescent plasma cells. Ultrastructural examination showed that vesicle filled nerve varicosities were often seen near plasma cells and that some of these varicosities reacted positively for catecholamines. These anatomical data suggest that the lymphoid cell population may be affected by the autonomic nervous system.

VIP like immunoreactive nerves in human respiratory tract. Light and electron microscopic study

The present study provides light and electron microscopical evidence of Vasoactive Intestinal Peptide - (VIP) like immunoreactive nerves in human lower respiratory tract. Peroxidase antiperoxidase (PAP) technique was used to localize VIP-like immunoreactivity light microscopically and ultrastructurally. Under light microscopy, VIP-like immunoreactive nerves were observed in the smooth muscle layer of secondary bronchi to small bronchioli, and in bronchial glands. In addition, positive immunoreactive nervous network to VIP was found around nerve cell bodies in small microganglia. The bronchial epithelium of airway tract did not receive any VIP positive nerve fibers. Ultrastructurally VIP-like positive immunoreaction was localized in large granular vesicles ranging from 90 to 210 nm. Usually VIP-like positive immunoreactive nerve profiles contained several immunoreactive large vesicles (100-210). However, nerve profiles containing only a few positive large vesicles (80-150) were also observed. Under electron microscopy VIP-positive nerve profiles corresponded ultrastructurally to nerve profiles containing large granular vesicles observed in conventional electronmicroscopy. The present study provides new information about the innervation of human lower airway tract and widens the concept of their functional regulation on the anatomical basis reported here.

Ultrastructure and innervation of the swimbladder of Tetractenos glaber (Tetraodontidae)

The general structure, ultrastructure and innervation of the swimbladder of the smooth toadfish, Tetractenos glaber, were examined with light-microscopic, fluorescence-histochemical, and transmission electron-microscopic techniques. The structure of the swimbladder is similar to that of other euphysoclists. Fluorescence histochemistry showed adrenergic fibres in both the secretory and resorptive areas of the swimbladder. Transmission electron microscopy revealed two morphologically distinct axon profiles: type-I profiles containing many small, flattened vesicles; type-II profiles containing both large, granular vesicles and rounded, small clear vesicles in varying proportions. The gas-gland cells and surrounding muscularis mucosae are innervated by both type-I and type-II fibres. Type-I fibres also innervate pre-rete arteries. The rete- and gas-gland capillaries do not appear to be innervated. Arteries running to the resorptive area are innervated by type-I fibres. Both type-I and type-II profiles make contact with the muscularis mucosae in the resorptive area. Only type-I fibres innervate the radial dilator muscle in the oval sphincter region, whereas only type II fibres innervate the circular muscle of the oval sphincter. Type-I fibres took up alpha-methyl-noradrenaline, and could not be found after pre-treatment with 6-hydroxydopamine. They are, therefore, assumed to be adrenergic. Type-II fibres were tentatively identified, by exclusion, as cholinergic.

Reduction in noradrenergic perivascular nerve density in the left and right cerebral arteries of old rabbits

With the use of fluorescence and acetylcholinesterase histochemistry, marked reductions have been shown in the noradrenergic and acetylcholinesterase-positive innervation of the right ( RMC ) and left (LMC) middle cerebral arteries of old compared with young adult rabbits. The decrease in noradrenergic nerve density tended to be greater in LMC than in RMC : Nerve density fell by approximately 45% in LMC and by approximately 30% in RMC . The reductions in acetylcholinesterase-positive nerves were similar in both LMC and RMC (29 and 33%, respectively). Vessel circumference and cross-sectional wall area appeared to increase in old age in LMC and RMC .

An ultrastructural comparison of neuromuscular relationships in blood vessels with functional and 'non-functional' neuromuscular transmission

The neuromuscular relationships of the guinea-pig renal artery, which has previously been shown to be noradrenergically innervated but 'non-functional', i.e. not responsive to nerve stimulation in vitro, is compared with those of two arteries where functional neuromuscular transmission occurs: the carotid artery, where responses to nerve stimulation are slow and of medium amplitude, and the mesenteric artery, where the responses to nerve stimulation are relatively fast and of large amplitude. Substantial differences of ultrastructure were demonstrated. In the renal artery, there were no nerve varicosities closer than 400 nm to the smooth muscle layer, all varicosities had connective tissue interposed between them and the muscle wall, and there were significantly fewer varicosities (6 +/- 3.1 mm-1) compared with the carotid (33 +/- 8.3 mm-1; P less than 0.05) or mesenteric (105 +/- 15.8 mm-1; P less than 0.001) arteries. In the carotid artery, a small group of varicosities (17%), with little interposed connective tissue, had an average neuromuscular gap of 1.5 micron, whilst the remainder were separated by an average of 4.3 micron and by cellular and other connective tissue elements from the nearest smooth muscle cell. In the mesenteric artery, about half of the nerve varicosities were closer than 400 nm to the muscle layer and 25% of the varicosities had no connective tissue except basal lamina interposed in the neuromuscular space. Differences were also shown in the ultrastructural appearance of the nerves: analysis of the neuronal vesicles showed that the majority of varicosities were noradrenergic in all three vessels, with non-adrenergic varicosities forming 6% of the total in the carotid artery and 32% of the total in the mesenteric artery. Noradrenaline content was greater in the mesenteric artery (0.37 +/- 0.052 ng mm-2) compared with the carotid (0.17 +/- 0.017 ng mm-2; P less than 0.01) and renal (0.11 +/- 0.024 ng mm-2; P less than 0.01) arteries. These differences appear to correlate with the differences of neuromuscular activity in the three arteries.

Ultrastructure of catecholamine-containing axons in the intestine of the domestic fowl

Axons in the duodenum, ileum and rectum of the domestic fowl were identified as catecholamine-containing (CA) on the basis of positive reactivity following chromaffin fixation for electron microscopy. CA-axons in association with blood vessels in all regions of the intestine and in non-vascular sites in the small intestine had a 'typical' adrenergic appearance, in that they contained many small granular vesicles (SGV) and variable numbers of large granular vesicles (LGV). In the rectum the non-vascular CA-axon profiles were atypical, in that there were many elongated LGV and few SGV, and the chromaffin reactivity was weak. The nerve profiles in the rectum were dramatically reduced following 6-hydroxydopamine and reserpine treatment and were absent in rectum cultured in the absence of extrinsic ganglia. It was concluded that the profiles, in spite of their low chromaffin reactivity, truely represent CA-axons. The possibility was raised that the atypical morphology and reduced chromaffin reactivity is due to the presence of adrenaline.

A correlative light-, fluorescence- and electron-microscopic study of neuroepithelial bodies in the lung of the red-eared turtle, Pseudemys scripta elegans

Neuroepithelial bodies (NEB) were identified for the first time in the respiratory tract of a reptile by the use of combined morphological and histochemical methods. In the red-eared turtle, Pseudemys scripta elegans, NEB were found within the trabecular epithelium of the respiratory tract, mainly in the branching regions of the trabeculae. An intracellular formaldehyde-induced fluorescent compound was identified as 5-hydroxytryptamine (5-HT) by means of microspectrofluorometry. Subsequent histochemical staining of the same fluorescent sections showed the 5-HT-containing cells to be argentaffin. In electron micrographs cell clusters characterized by the presence of distinctive cytoplasmic, membrane-bounded dense granules (+/- 100 nm) were observed, correlating with the distribution of the yellow-fluorescent epithelial cells. The granules of the NEB are positive when the argentaffin technique is performed directly on ultrathin sections. Cells of the NEB extend into the lumen of the airway via apical microvilli and a single modified cilium displaying a 9 X 2 + 0 or 8 X 2 + 2 microtubular pattern. Unmyelinated axons containing mostly small, clear vesicles were seen in close association with NEB cells, often forming synaptic junctions. Occasionally, axons containing a few small dense-cored vesicles were found. The relationship between NEB cells and capillaries, the images of emiocytotic granule release and the occurrence of synaptic contacts between axons and granule-containing cells are indicative of endocrine secretion. These features and the presence of intracytoplasmic granules containing 5-HT may justify the inclusion of NEB-cells of the turtle lung into the diffuse neuroendocrine system. Furthermore, structurally these cells appear to represent sensory elements capable of an intrapulmonary receptor-secretory function.

Quinacrine-induced degeneration of non-adrenergic, non-cholinergic autonomic nerves in the rat anococcygeus muscle

The morphological changes induced in the autonomic nerves of the rat anococcygeus muscle after the injection of quinacrine (QC, 100 or 200 mg/kg) were examined by electron microscopy in order to clarify the nature of QC-binding nerves seen at the fluorescence-microscopic level. A correspondence between granular QC fluorescence and many lysosomal dense bodies is observed both in the cytoplasm of muscle cells and in non-adrenergic, non-cholinergic (NANC) axons during the first few days following injection. A number of brilliantly fluorescent fibres is observed 1 week after injection. At the ultrastructural level, these fibres seem to correlate with NANC axons which are crowded with many dense bodies and large granular vesicles. Notably, some lysosomal dense bodies contain many large granular vesicles. The effects of QC injection on the ultrastructure of adrenergic axons have also been observed, but are not so marked as in the NANC axons. The administration of QC did not cause complete degeneration of the NANC nerves, though degenerating axons were sometimes observed. The present data indicate that most, if not all, QC-binding nerves observed at the fluorescence-microscopic level correspond to NANC nerves at the electron-microscopic level. Furthermore, NANC axons appear to contain a considerable amount of ATP concentrated in the large granular vesicles.

Simultaneous ultrastructural visualization of acetylcholinesterase activity and tritiated norepinephrine uptake in renal nerves

In this investigation we have combined the methods of ultrastructural demonstration of acetylcholinesterase activity with electron microscopic autoradiography for the demonstration of norepinephrine uptake. The results show electron-dense deposits indicative of acetylcholinesterase activity associated with perivascular axons overlaid by concentrations of silver grains representing exogenous tritiated norepinephrine. Forty-five percent of the intervaricose regions and 19% of the varicosities overlaid by autoradiographic grains showed "moderate" amounts of cholinesterase staining. A greater proportion of autoradiographic grains was observed on the varicosities than in the intervaricose regions; however, the amount of acetylcholinesterase activity was greater in the intervaricose regions than in the varicosities. This investigation provides evidence for the presence of periaxonal acetylcholinesterase staining in adrenergic axons in the rat kidney.

Non-adrenergic, non-cholinergic nerves in mammalian airways: their function and the role of purines

1. Relaxations to field stimulation of sympathetic nerves were found in the guinea-pig trachea only. 2. Relaxations to field stimulation of non-adrenergic inhibitory nerves were found in the larger airways of human, monkey, guinea-pig and rabbit, but not rat. 3. Lung strips from all the mammals failed to respond to sympathetic or non-adrenergic inhibitory nerve stimulation. 4. Inhibitory beta-adrenoceptors were demonstrated in the proximal airways of all species except rabbit. 5. Of the fine airways examined, beta-adrenoceptors only were found in guinea-pig and alpha-adrenoceptors only in rabbit while rat, monkey and human tissues contained mixed populations of both receptors. 6. Adenosine is a likely candidate for the neurotransmitter in the non-adrenergic inhibitory nerves. Inhibitory receptors for adenosine were present in guinea-pig trachea although receptors for ATP are probably lacking.