Co-existence of immunoreactivity to neuropeptide Y and vasoactive intestinal peptide in non-noradrenergic axons innervating guinea pig cerebral arteries after sympathectomy

Where are we? The anatomy of the murine cortical meninges revisited for intravital imaging, immunology, and clearance of waste from the brain

Rapid progress is being made in understanding the roles of the cerebral meninges in the maintenance of normal brain function, in immune surveillance, and as a site of disease. Most basic research on the meninges and the neural brain is now done on mice, major attractions being the availability of reporter mice with fluorescent cells, and of a huge range of antibodies useful for immunocytochemistry and the characterization of isolated cells. In addition, two-photon microscopy through the unperforated calvaria allows intravital imaging of the undisturbed meninges with sub-micron resolution. The anatomy of the dorsal meninges of the mouse (and, indeed, of all mammals) differs considerably from that shown in many published diagrams: over cortical convexities, the outer layer, the dura, is usually thicker than the inner layer, the leptomeninx, and both layers are richly vascularized and innervated, and communicate with the lymphatic system. A membrane barrier separates them and, in disease, inflammation can be localized to one layer or the other, so experimentalists must be able to identify the compartment they are studying. Here, we present current knowledge of the functional anatomy of the meninges, particularly as it appears in intravital imaging, and review their role as a gateway between the brain, blood, and lymphatics, drawing on information that is scattered among works on different pathologies.

Parasympathetic innervation of vertebrobasilar arteries: is this a potential clinical target?

This review aims to summarise the contemporary evidence for the presence and function of the parasympathetic innervation of the cerebral circulation with emphasis on the vertebral and basilar arteries (the posterior cerebral circulation). We consider whether the parasympathetic innervation of blood vessels could be used as a means to increase cerebral blood flow. This may have clinical implications for pathologies associated with cerebral hypoperfusion such as stroke, dementia and hypertension. Relative to the anterior cerebral circulation little is known of the origins and neurochemical phenotypes of the parasympathetic innervation of the vertebrobasilar arteries. These vessels normally provide blood flow to the brainstem and cerebellum but can, via the Circle of Willis upon stenosis of the internal carotid arteries, supply blood to the anterior cerebral circulation too. We review the multiple types of parasympathetic fibres and their distinct transmitter mechanisms and how these vary with age, disease and species. We highlight the importance of parasympathetic fibres for mediating the vasodilatory response to sympathetic activation. Current trials are investigating the possibility of electrically stimulating the postganglionic parasympathetic ganglia to improve cerebal blood flow to reduce the penumbra following stroke. We conclude that although there are substantial gaps in our understanding of the origins of parasympathetic innervation of the vertebrobasilar arteries, activation of this system under some conditions might bring therapeutic benefits.

Sympathectomy Causes Aggravated Lesions and Dedifferentiation in Large Rabbit Atherosclerotic Arteries without Involving Nitric Oxide

Previously [Histochem J 1997;29:279-286], we found that sympathectomy induced neointima formation in ear but not cerebral arteries of genetically hyperlipidemic rabbits. To clarify the influence of sympathetic nerves in atherosclerosis, and whether their influence involves vascular NO activity, we studied groups of normocholesterolemic intact (NI) and sympathectomized (NS), and hypercholesterolemic intact (HI) and sympathectomized (HS) rabbits (diet/6-hydroxydopamine for 79 days). Segments of basilar (BA) and femoral (FA) arteries were studied histochemically, to evaluate differentiation (anti-desmin, anti-vimentin, anti-h-caldesmon, and nuclear dye), by confocal microscopy, and by in vitro myography. In BAs, staining of NI and NS groups was similar. In hypercholesterolemic groups, a small neointima developed, more frequently in HS segments where smooth muscle cells (SMCs) positive for all antibodies appeared to be migrating into the neointima. In FAs, SMCs stained for the three antibodies in the NI group, but we observed desmin- and h-caldesmon-negative, vimentin-positive cells in some external medial layers of the NS, HI and HS groups, identical to adventitial fibroblasts. Large neointimas of the HS group contained vimentin-positive and largely desmin- and h-caldesmon-negative cells. Relaxation of BA or FA segments to acetylcholine was not decreased by sympathectomy. Sympathectomy increased the contraction of resting FAs to nitro-L-arginine (p = 0.0379). Thus, sympathectomy aggravates the tendency for FA SMCs to migrate and dedifferentiate, increasing atherosclerotic lesions, without decreasing NO activity, but has only minor effects on BAs.

Ovarian steroids regulate neuropeptides in the trigeminal ganglion

Women are more than three times as likely as men to experience migraine headaches and temporomandibular joint pain, and painful episodes are often linked to the menstrual cycle. To understand how hormone levels may influence head and face pain, we assessed expression of pain-associated neuropeptides and estrogen receptor alpha (ERalpha) during the natural estrous cycle in mice. Gene expression was analyzed in the trigeminal ganglia of cycling female mice at proestrus, estrus and diestrus using RT-PCR. Peptide/protein expression in trigeminal neurons was analyzed using immunohistochemistry. ERalpha mRNA was present at all stages and highest at estrus. ERalpha protein was present in the cytoplasm of medium-sized and small trigeminal neurons. ERalpha immunoreactive neurons were most common at diestrus. CGRP and ANP mRNAs did not change across the estrous cycle, while expression of galanin and NPY mRNAs were strongly linked to the estrous cycle. Galanin mRNA levels peaked at proestrus, when expression was 8.7-fold higher than the diestrus levels. Galanin immunoreactivity also peaked at proestrus. At proestrus, 7.5% of trigeminal neurons contained galanin, while at estrus, 6.2% of trigeminal neurons contained galanin, and at diestrus, 4.9% of trigeminal neurons contained galanin. NPY mRNA peaked at estrus, when levels were 4.7-fold higher than at diestrus. Our findings suggest that estrogen receptors in trigeminal neurons modulate nociceptive responses through effects on galanin and NPY. Variations in neuropeptide content in trigeminal neurons across the natural estrous cycle may contribute to increases in painful episodes at particular phases of the menstrual cycle.

Neuropeptide Y (NPY) and C-flanking peptide of NPY in the pineal gland of normal and ganglionectomized sheep

The present immunohistochemical study describes the presence and distribution of nerve fibers containing neuropeptide Y (NPY), and C-Flanking Peptide Of NPY (CPON) in the pineal gland of the sheep. Nerve fibers were detected by using a series of antisera directed against NPY or against CPON. Many positive immunoreactive nerve fibers were identified in the pial capsule of the pineal, in connective septae and in the parenchyma between pinealocytes. The intraparenchymal fibers were particularly evident and created an extensive network throughout the gland. Nerve fibers immunoreactive for all the peptides were also observed in the posterior commissure and in the stria medullaris thalami. No NPY- or CPON-positive neurons were found in the pineal gland. In order to study the site of origin of NPY- and CPON-immunoreactive nerve fibers, the superior cervical ganglia were bilaterally removed in a series of animals. Sympathetic denervation was checked by using an antiserum against tyrosine hydroxylase (TH). Nearly all TH-immunoreactive elements disappeared in the pineal glands of animals sacrificed 15 days after surgery. Also the density of NPY- and CPON-immunoreactive nerve fibers decreased in the animals after the ganglionectomy. However, a number of nerve fibers still remained in the gland. These data indicate that some NPY- and CPON-immunoreactive nerve fibers of the sheep pineal gland derive from an extrasympathetic origin. The very dense innervation of the sheep pineal gland with nerve fibers containing NPY and CPON strongly indicates a functional role for this family of peptides in the pineal gland of this species.

Effects of sympathectomy on experimentally induced pulpal inflammation and periapical lesions in rats

The role of sympathetic nerves in bone physiology is largely unknown. Recent studies have shown a correlation between sympathectomy and bone remodeling. The present experiments were aimed to study the effects of unilateral sympathectomy on bilateral experimentally induced pulpitis and periapical lesions in the rat maxilla and mandible. Adult male Sprague-Dawley rats were used. Experimental rats (n=11) had the right superior cervical ganglion surgically removed (SCGx) and control rats (n=5) had sham surgery. Pulpal inflammation and periapical bone lesions in the maxilla and mandible were created 14 days later in both experimental and control rats by exposing the dental pulp in the first and second molars and leaving them open to the oral microflora. The rats were perfused 20 days thereafter and the jaws processed for immunohistochemistry with neuropeptide Y (NPY) and ED1 as primary antibodies. Sympathectomy resulted in an almost complete loss of NPY-immunoreactive (IR) fibers in the right SCGx jaws. In the non-sympathectomized (non-SCGx) left side and in the control rats, sprouting of NPY-IR fiber was observed in the inflamed pulp tissue adjacent to reparative dentin formation and in the apical periodontal ligament of the partially necrotic first molars. Significantly more ED1-IR osteoclasts were found in the resorptive lacunae lining the periphery of the periapical lesions on the SCGx side compared with the non-SCGx side (P<0.04) and the controls (P<0.03). The size of the periapical lesions were larger on the SCGx side compared with the non-SCGx side (P<0.03) in the mandible, but not in the maxilla. We conclude that inflammation causes sprouting of NPY-IR nerve fibers and that unilateral removal of the SCG increases both the area of the periapical lesions and the number of osteoclasts in the inflamed region.

Quantitative immunohistochemical investigation of the intrinsic vasodilator innervation of the guinea pig lingual artery

The vasculature of the guinea pig tongue is supplied by parasympathetic vasodilator nerve fibres of intrinsic origin. Here, we investigated first to what extent neuropeptides and the synthesizing enzymes of NO, CO and acetylcholine are contained and colocalized within periarterial lingual vasodilator axons of intrinsic origin. Then it was determined whether perivascular innervation by these fibre types changes with vascular diameter, in particular in comparison with the sensory substance P (SP)-positive and sympathetic noradrenergic vascular innervation. To this end, single, double and triple labelling histochemical techniques were performed on control tongues and tongues kept in short-term organotypic culture to induce degeneration of extrinsically originating nerve fibres. Cell bodies of intrinsic microganglia and their periarterial axons contained, simultaneously, NO synthase, vasoactive intestinal peptide and the acetylcholine-synthesizing enzyme choline acetyltransferase. Additionally, neuropeptide Y (NPY) was observed in a small percentage (12%) of neurons that increased to 39% after 36 h of organotypic culture. The CO synthesizing enzyme heme oxygenase-2 was detected only in perikarya but not in periarterial axons. Intrinsic vasodilator fibres were invariably present at arteries down to a luminal diameter of 150 microm, and reached 65% of section profiles of smallest arterioles, while noradrenergic and substance P-positive axons reached 80% of arteriolar profiles. These findings show that the intrinsic lingual vasodilator innervation of the guinea pig is far extending although slightly less developed than that by sensory and sympathetic axons, and differs both in this aspect and in patterns of colocalization from that reported for other organs, e.g. lung and pelvic organs.

Neuronal messengers in the human cerebral circulation

In recent years our knowledge of the nervous control of the cerebral circulation has increased. The use of denervations and retrograde tracing in combination with immunohistochemical techniques has demonstrated that cerebral vessels are supplied with sympathetic, parasympathetic, and sensory nerve fibers and possibly central pathways containing a multiplicity of new transmitter substances in addition to the classical transmitters. The majority of these transmitters are neuropeptides. More recently it has been suggested that a gaseous transmitter, nitric oxide (NO) also could participate in the neuronal regulation of cerebral blood flow. Although little is known about the physiological actions and inter-relationships among all these putative neurotransmitters, their presence within cerebrovascular nerve fibers will make it necessary to revise our view on the mechanisms of cerebrovascular neurotransmission.

Distribution of neuropeptide Y-like immunoreactivity in the brain of the Senegalese sole (Solea senegalensis)

We present the results of an immunohistochemical study aimed at localizing the neuropeptide Y (NPY) in the brain of the Senegalese sole, Solea senegalensis, using an antiserum raised against porcine NPY and the streptavidin-biotin-peroxidase method. In this species, we have identified immunoreactive cells in the ventral and dorsal telencephalon, caudal preoptic area, ventrocaudal hypothalamus, optic tectum, torus longitudinalis, synencephalon and isthmic region. NPY-immunoreactive fibers were profusely distributed throughout the brain, also reaching the adenohypophysis. The extensive distribution of NPY suggests an important role for this neuropeptide in a variety of physiological processes, including the neuroendocrine control of adenohypophyseal functions. Our results are compared with those obtained in other teleosts and discussed in relation to putative functions of NPY in the control of metabolism and reproduction in the Senegalese sole.

Pathway specific expression of neuropeptides and autonomic control of the vasculature

In this article, we review the immunohistochemical evidence for the pathway-specific expression of co-existing neuropeptides in autonomic vasomotor neurons, and examine the functional significance of these expression patterns for the autonomic regulation of the vasculature. Most final motor neurons in autonomic vasomotor pathways contain neuropeptides in addition to non-peptide co-transmitters such as catecholamines, acetylcholine and nitric oxide. Neuropeptides also occur in preganglionic vasomotor neurons. The precise combinations of neuropeptides expressed by neurons in vasomotor pathways vary with species, vascular bed, and the level within the vascular bed. This applies to both vasoconstrictor and vasodilator pathways. There is a similar degree of variation in the expression of neuropeptide receptors in the vasculature. Consequently, the contributions of different peptides to autonomic vasomotor control are closely matched to the functional requirements of specific vascular beds. This arrangement allows for a high degree of precision in vascular control in normal conditions and has the potential for considerable plasticity under pathophysiological conditions.

Neuropeptide Y (NPY) and NPY receptors in the rat pineal gland

NPY is considered to play an important role in pineal function, because it is co-stored with the dominant pineal transmitter noradrenaline. However, little evidence from the literature suggests that NPY alone is a strong regulator of melatonin synthesis or secretion and it is therefore more likely that NPY modulates noradrenergic neurotransmission in the rat pineal gland. The purpose of the present studies was to determine the nature and origin of NPYergic inputs to, and the type of specific NPY receptor subtypes in, the rat pineal gland. Gel filtration and immunocytochemistry using region-specific antisera revealed that all proNPY present in intrapineal nerve fibres is cleaved to amidated NPY and a C-terminal flanking peptide of NPY (CPON). The vast majority of NPY content in the pineal gland was found to be of sympathetic origin. Receptor autoradiography showed that only a few NPY specific binding sites were present in the superficial pineal gland. A reverse transcriptase polymerase chain reaction detected sequences of only NPY receptor subtype Y1 and not other NPY receptor subtypes in pineal extracts. These results together with the available literature imply that NPY under certain conditions is co-released with noradrenaline and exerts its actions either presynaptically or on the pinealocyte through a Y1 receptor. The available data indicate that NPY has no effect alone, but acts in concert with noradrenaline. A presynaptic action regulating noradrenaline neurotransmission is also possible. NPY has been reported only to act on melatonin secretion in vitro, and it remains to be established what function NPY plays in the pineal gland in vivo. This paper discuss possible modulatory actions of NPY being a predominant sympathetic transmitter.

Neuropeptide Y in the mammalian pineal gland

The present review describes the anatomy of the neuropeptide (NPY)ergic innervation of the mammalian pineal gland with emphasis on the rat. The proNPY-molecule is post-translationally processed by a single cleavage to neuropeptide Y (NPY) and a C-terminal peptide of NPY (CPON). NPY is C-terminally amidated, and the amidation is essential for binding of NPY to its corresponding receptor(s). Since no proNPY has been detected in rat pineal extracts, it is considered that proNPY is immediately processed to its final products in the gland. In the rat, numerous NPY- and CPON-immunoreactive (ir) nerve fibers are present in the capsule of the superficial pineal gland and in the pineal parenchyma, mostly related to the connective tissue spaces and the vasculature of the gland, but also present between the pinealocytes. Furthermore, a substantial number of fibers was observed in the deep pineal gland, the pineal stalk, and the underlying epithalamus. Occasionally, NPY- or CPON-immunoreactive fibers were found adjacent to the stria medullaris and in the posterior commissure, which could be followed to the adjacent deep pineal gland. At the ultrastructural level, the NPY-immunoreactivity was confined in boutons containing large granular vesicles (100-200 nm) as well as small (40-60 nm) granular vesicles. Some terminals were located in very close apposition to the pinealocyte cell membrane. Terminals were identified in perivascular spaces, but synaptic contacts between the immunoreactive terminals and pinealocytes were never observed. These data show that NPY is highly concentrated in nerve fibers throughout the rat pineal complex. Double-fluorescence histochemistry using tyrosine hydroxylase as marker for catecholaminergic fibers and NPY revealed that nearly all NPYergic fibers co-stored tyrosine hydroxylase in the superficial pineal gland. A minor portion of both immunoreactivities was not colocalized. In accordance, about 65% of the neurons in the superior cervical ganglion contained both CPON and tyrosine hydroxylase. In bilateral superior cervical ganglionectomized rats, a few NPY-ir nerve fibers remained mostly in the pineal capsule, but few fibers were also found in the superficial pineal parenchyma. Contrarily, only a moderate decrease was observed in the number of immunoreactive fibers in the deep pineal gland, and no reduction was observed in the adjacent epithalamus. In the ganglionectomised rats, co-localisation of tyrosine hydroxylase and NPY in intrapineal nerve fibers was not observed either in the superficial pineal gland, nor in the deep pineal gland. These results together with the available literature show that NPY is a sympathetic transmitter, and its actions in the pineal gland are, therefore, associated with the well-documented roles of noradrenaline. Possible roles of NPY in pineal biochemistry and physiology are discussed.

Vipergic innervation of the mammalian pineal gland

The present article reviews the literature relative to VIP- and PHI-containing nerve fibers in the pineal gland of mammals. The article summarizes data on the presence and distribution of the two peptides in the brain of mammals, their role in neuronal metabolism, and the significance and origin of VIPergic and PHIergic cerebrovascular nerve fibers. Special emphasis is placed on VIP- and PHI-containing nerves in the pineal gland. The morphology of the fibers, the nature of the innervation, and the distribution of immunoreactive nerves within the pineal gland are examined. The review discusses the nature of the classical and "central" innervation of the pineal gland. The possible site of origin of pinealopetal VIPergic and PHIergic fibers is investigated, with special reference to ganglia of the head, and particularly to the pterygopalatine, otic, and trigeminal ganglia. The nature of VIP (and PHI) receptors is examined with reference to the most recent acquisitions in the field. Based on the data, a role for VIP (and PHI) in pineal metabolism is discussed.

NPY/sympathetic and NPY/VIP innervation of the blood vessels supplying rat tooth-related structures: effects of sympathectomy

In order to better understand the regulation of blood flow to tooth-related structures, the patterns of VIP- and NPY-ergic innervations in the rat were examined. Nerve fibers showing NPY-like immunoreactivity (NPY-LI) frequently occurred in the walls of the large main arteries, as well as in association with the arterioles, to a high degree co-existing with tyrosine hydroxylase (TH), whereas VIP-LI was mainly restricted to the walls of the large arteries. After sympathectomy, no NPY/TH-LI nerve fibers were seen in blood vessel walls. However, a NPY-immunoreactive nerve population remained in the walls of the large arteries, NPY- and VIP-LI co-existing in this nerve population. Both immunoreactions were intense. The present study suggests that a NPY/sympathetic innervation as well as a VIP innervation (large arteries) are likely to have substantial roles in the balance and maintenance of vasoregulation in tooth-related structures and that a NPY/VIP innervation becomes of particular importance when the NPY/sympathetic innervation is destroyed.

Endothelin in perivascular nerves. An electron-immunocytochemical study of rat basilar artery

The endothelium is recognized as a major source of endothelin in the vasculature. In this report we show for the first time that endothelin can be demonstrated with immunoelectronmicroscopy in perivascular nerves. About 36% of the axon profiles (varicosity/intervaricosity) examined in the rat basilar artery showed immunolabelling with a polyclonal antibody to endothelin-1. Endothelin-labelled axon varicosities were characterized by the presence of small spherical agranular vesicles (42 +/- 1 nm); some varicosities also contained large granular vesicles (92 +/- 5 nm) with labelled cores. Immunolabelling was mostly distributed in the axoplasm and in association with the membrane of synaptic vesicles (the lumen of the small agranular vesicles was immuno-negative). The presence of endothelin in perivascular nerves of the basilar artery suggests a neuronal as well as endothelial role in the physiological control of the vessel wall.

Parasympathetic varicosity proliferation and synaptogenesis in rat eyelid smooth muscle after sympathectomy

Parasympathetic innervation to eyelid smooth muscle inhibits sympathetic neurotransmission pre-junctionally without appreciable direct post-junctional effects. However, 5 weeks after sympathectomy, parasympathetic stimulation elicits substantial cholinergically mediated contractions. This study examined ultrastructural changes accompanying the conversion to parasympathetic excitation. In intact muscles, 64+/-9 nerve varicosities were encountered per 104 micron2. Most were close to muscle cells and not fully enclosed by supporting cells. Axo-axonal synapses were observed occasionally. Two days following sympathectomy, varicosity numbers were reduced by 97% and, relative to controls, remaining varicosities were farther from muscle cells and more frequently fully enclosed by supporting cells, but contained greater numbers of small spherical and large dense vesicles. By 6 weeks post-sympathectomy, numbers of varicosities per unit muscle volume increased to 14% of controls. These varicosities differed from those at 2 days in being closer to smooth muscle cells, less frequently enclosed, and having fewer small vesicles. These findings indicate that intact eyelid smooth muscle varicosities are predominantly sympathetic, but a small number of parasympathetic varicosities are present, some of which may form pre-junctional synapses with sympathetic nerves. Between 2 days and 6 weeks post-sympathectomy, varicosities increased in number and established appositions with smooth muscle cells. This suggests that parasympathetic nerves are capable of re-innervating an atypical smooth muscle target after sympathectomy, and that parasympathetic synaptogenesis is likely to contribute to conversion from pre-junctional inhibition to post-junctional excitation after sympathectomy.

Parasympathetic innervation of cephalic arteries in rabbits: comparison with sympathetic and sensory innervation

We investigated the distribution of parasympathetic, sympathetic, and sensory perivascular nerve fibers in rabbit cephalic arteries supplying the brain, exocrine glands, nasal mucosa, masseter muscles, tongue, and skin in the face and also examined cranial autonomic and sensory ganglia. NADPH diaphorase (NADPHd)-positive and vasoactive intestinal peptide-like immunoreactive (VIP-LI) neurons were located in the cranial parasympathetic ganglia. Neuropeptide Y (NPY)-LI neurons occurred mainly, and dopamine beta-hydroxylase (DBH)-LI neurons occurred exclusively, in the superior cervical (sympathetic) ganglion. Substance P (SP)-LI and calcitonin gene-related peptide (CGRP)-LI neurons occurred only in the trigeminal (sensory) ganglion. Therefore, it was assumed that NADPHd-positive and VIP-LI perivascular nerve fibers in cephalic arteries were parasympathetic, all DBH-LI and most NPY-LI fibers were sympathetic, and SP-LI and CGRP-LI fibers were sensory in nature. In the cerebral arteries, NADPHd-positive and VIP-LI varicose fibers were more numerous in the rostral than in the caudal half of the Circle of Willis. In the extracranial arteries, NADPHd-positive and VIP-LI fibers were most abundant in the lingual, lacrimal, and supraorbital arteries; sparse in the parotid and submandibular arteries; and absent in the ear artery. There was an obvious proximal-to-distal density gradient along individual cephalic arterial trees. In contrast, DBH-LI, NPY-LI, SP-LI, and CGRP-LI varicose nerve fibers were similar in density in all cephalic arteries and their branches. These neuroanatomical findings suggest that differential parasympathetic innervation in cephalic arteries may play a role in the partitioning of blood flow between different cephalic tissues.

Differential effects of increasing doses of alpha-trinositol on cerebral blood flow autoregulation

The effect of neuropeptide Y inhibition with alpha-trinositol on the cerebral blood flow autoregulation was studied in Wistar Kyoto rats. alpha-Trinositol was tested in two doses: one dose (5 mg kg-1 hr-1) selectively affecting neuropeptide Y and one higher dose (50 mg kg-1 hr-1) affecting both neuropeptide Y and the adrenergic response. The cerebral blood flow was measured with the intracarotid 133xenon injection method in halothane nitrous oxide-anaesthetized animals. Blood pressure was raised by norepinephrine infusion and lowered by controlled haemorrhage in separate groups of rats. In addition we examined the effect of alpha-trinositol on neuropeptide Y-induced contraction of cerebral vessels in vitro. The in vitro study demonstrated inhibition of neuropeptide Y-induced contraction with a alpha-trinositol dose selective of neuropeptide Y. The in vivo study demonstrated that cerebral blood flow autoregulation was preserved after both doses of alpha-trinositol. alpha-Trinositol in the low neuropeptide Y-selective dose (5 mg kg-1 hr-1) did not affect the blood pressure limits of cerebral blood flow autoregulation, but the higher dose (50 mg kg-1 hr-1) of alpha-trinositol shifted the upper blood pressure limit of cerebral blood flow autoregulation towards lower blood pressures, an effect probably due to inhibition of both the adrenergic and neuropeptide Y systems.

Peptidergic and adrenergic innervation of the lachrymal gland in the euryhaline turtle, Malaclemys terrapin

The controlling factors of lachrymal gland secretions were examined in the euryhaline turtle, Malaclemys terrapin. Histochemical and immunocytochemical methods were used to localize some of the possible neurotransmitters involved. There was no immunoreactivity to choline acetyltransferase, the enzyme synthesizing acetylcholine, nor did the histochemical technique for acetylcholinesterase produce positive results. Immunofluorescence and immunoperoxidase labels revealed vasoactive intestinal peptide (VIP)- and neuropeptide Y (NPY)-like immunoreactivity in high concentrations surrounding the secretory tubules and ducts. Substance P produced a weak immunoreactivity in the interstitial space surrounding the ducts. Dopamine beta-hydroxylase, the enzyme synthesizing norepinephrine and epinephrine, was localized around the blood vessels. Immunogold labeling confirmed the presence of VIP- and NPY-like reactivity in nerve varicosities close to the basement membrane of the secretory epithelium, and double-labeling showed VIP and NPY are co-localized within the same nerve terminals. The results suggest that the secretory epithelium may be primarily under peptidergic control while the vascular system is under adrenergic control. This is possibly a new pattern of innervation for exocrine glands and may be related to the particular function of this salt gland in an euryhaline turtle.

Plasticity in the myenteric plexus of the rat ileum after long-term sympathectomy

To investigate the effect of chronic sympathectomy on the innervation of a tissue with an extensive intrinsic component, 1-week-old rat pups were treated with 50 mg/kg guanethidine for 3 weeks, a treatment shown to produce complete and long-lasting sympathectomy, and the ileum examined. Changes in the levels of noradrenaline, neuropeptide Y, calcitonin gene-related peptide, substance P and vasoactive intestinal polypeptide in the external muscle layers containing the myenteric plexus of the ileum were determined between 6 and 20 weeks of age. After sympathectomy, noradrenaline levels were initially depleted (3% of age-matched controls at 6 weeks, P < 0.001, and 18% of age-matched controls at 12 weeks, P < 0.001), but were not significantly reduced at 20 weeks (67% of age-matched controls). Such increases in noradrenaline content with time after sympathectomy did not occur in the mesenteric vein (levels in 20-week-old sympathectomized rats were 2% of the control values (P < 0.001). In the myenteric plexus, catecholamine fluorescent nerve fibers were seen in the 12-week-old sympathectomized rats, although tyrosine hydroxylase-immunoreactivity was absent. Guanethidine sympathectomy had no effect on the neuropeptide levels in 6-week-old rat ileum but there was a selective increase at 20 weeks; the levels of calcitonin gene-related peptide and substance P were increased (X3, P < 0.001 and X1.6, P < 0.05, respectively) while vasoactive intestinal polypeptide and neuropeptide Y levels were unchanged. Short-term sympathectomy (destruction of sympathetic nerve terminals by acute 6-hydroxydopamine treatment) had no affect on noradrenaline or peptide levels in this tissue.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

Cholinergic and vasoactive intestinal polypeptidergic innervation of the cerebral arteries

Acetylcholine and vasoactive intestinal polypeptide are not only two vasoactive agonists that predominantly induce a vasodilatation of the cerebral arteries, but also correspond to neurotransmitters that innervate the various anatomical segments of the cerebral vasculature. The distinct patterns of the cerebrovascular cholinergic and vasoactive intestinal polypeptidergic innervation, their neurochemistry, in vitro and in vivo pharmacology, as well as the putative pathophysiological implications of these neurotransmission systems are critically summarized on the basis of the most recently published literature.

New insights into the local regulation of blood flow by perivascular nerves and endothelium

Blood flow, particularly in the skin, is essential for the success of plastic surgical operations. This review describes recent studies of the perivascular nerves and vascular endothelial cells which regulate blood flow. Perivascular nerves, once considered simply adrenergic or cholinergic, release many types of neurotransmitters, including peptides, purines and nitric oxide. Cotransmission (synthesis, storage and release of more than one transmitter by a single nerve) commonly takes place. Some afferent nerves have an efferent (motor) function and axon reflex control of vascular tone by these "sensory-motor" nerves is more widespread than once thought. Endothelial cells mediate both vasodilatation and vasoconstriction. The endothelial cells can store and release vasoactive substances such as acetylcholine (vasodilator) and endothelin (vasoconstrictor). The origins and functions of such vasoactive substances are discussed. Endothelial vasoactive substances may be of greater significance in the response of blood vessels to local changes while perivascular nerves may be concerned with integration of blood flow in the whole organism. The dual regulation of vascular tone by perivascular nerves and endothelial cells is altered by aging and conditions such as hypertension, as well as by trauma and surgery. Studies of vascular tone in disease and after denervation or mechanical injury suggest possible trophic interactions between perivascular nerves and endothelial cells. Such trophic interactions may be important for growth and development of the two control systems, particularly in the microvasculature where neural-endothelial separation is small.

Nature and origin of cerebrovascular nerves with substance P immunoreactivity in bats (Mammalia: Microchiroptera), with special reference to species differences

Double staining immunohistochemistry was used to investigate the origin and projection of nerves with substance P (SP) immunoreactivity (-IR) in the walls of the major cerebral arteries in two microchiropteran species. In the greater horseshoe bat, most of the cerebral perivascular nerves with SP-IR did not exhibit calcitonin gene-related peptide (CGRP)-IR, but emitted bright immunofluorescence for vasoactive intestinal polypeptide (VIP). In this species, a large number of cell bodies with both SP- and VIP-IR were observed in many cranial ganglia along various branches of the facial and glossopharyngeal nerves. There were no cell bodies immunoreactive for either SP and VIP in the two sensory (trigeminal and upper cervical dorsal root), two sympathetic (superior cervical and stellate), or two vagal (superior and jugular) ganglia. In addition, several thick fiber bundles with both SP- and VIP-IR were present in the wall of the cerebral carotid artery, and descended progressively reaching as far as the middle part of the basilar artery (BA). These and other findings suggest that SP-immunoreactive nerves with VIP-IR but not CGRP-IR, which contribute to the rich innervation of the vertebrobasilar system in the greater horseshoe bat, originate from neurons with the same combination of peptide-IR in the major or local facial or glossopharyngeal parasympathetic ganglia, and enter the cranial cavity along the internal carotid artery. In the bent-winged bat, however, cerebral perivascular SP-immunoreactive nerves, as well as SP-immunoreactive neurons within the trigeminal and upper cervical dorsal root ganglia (uCDRG), showed neither CGRP-IR nor VIP-IR, and were mostly confined to the caudal BA and the vertebral artery (VA). These observations, in addition to the projection of this nerve type to the BA via the VA as fiber bundles, or through the meninges, indicate that the principal source of the cerebrovascular SP-immunoreactive innervation in this species is the uCDRG.

Decreased vasoactive intestinal polypeptide-immunoreactivity of parasympathetic neurons and target innervation following long-term sympathectomy

Following long-term sympathectomy, parasympathetic neurons show increased expression of some catecholaminergic traits. The objective of this study was to determine if, in addition, expression of vasoactive intestinal polypeptide immunoreactivity (VIP-ir) is suppressed in parasympathetic neurons and a glandular target of the rat. Studies were conducted on the rat pterygopalatine ganglion and meibomian gland; the meibomian gland contains dense innervation that is strongly VIP-ir, and 99% of the VIP-ir neurons projecting to this target reside within the pterygopalatine ganglion. Two months following unilateral superior cervical ganglionectomy on postnatal day 30, DBH-ir fibers normally present within the eyelid were absent and there was a marked reduction in number and staining intensity of VIP-ir fibers within the meibomian gland. The percentage of pterygopalatine ganglion neurons displaying DBH-ir was increased from 43 +/- 4 to 65 +/- 2%. However, the percentage of parasympathetic neurons expressing VIP-ir was decreased from 96 +/- 4% to 76 +/- 1%. We conclude that sympathectomy not only enhances expression of some catecholaminergic traits but also suppresses VIP-ir within pterygopalatine ganglion parasympathetic neurons and meibomian gland target.

The presence of neuropeptides in GABAergic and cholinergic rat cerebrocortical synaptosome sub-populations

GABAergic and cholinergic synaptosomes from rat cerebral cortex were isolated by a magnetic immunoaffinity technique, i.e. immunomagnetophoresis. These subpopulations were extracted and subjected to radioimmunoassay for four neuropeptides: Neuropeptide Y (NPY); vasoactive intestinal peptide (VIP); substance P (SP); and somatostatin (SRIF). In each of the sub-populations three of the four peptides were enriched in the sorted fraction compared with the mother fraction with respect to the cytosolic marker lactate dehydrogenase (LDH). In the GABAergic sub-population the order was SP > SRIF > NPY > or = VIP whilst in the cholinergic sub-population they were enriched in the order VIP > or = NPY > SP > SRIF. The presence of NPY has not previously been reported in cortical cholinergic neurons.

The distribution and colocalization of neuropeptides in perivascular nerves innervating the large arteries and veins of the snake, Elaphe obsoleta

Single- and dual-labelling immunohistochemistry were used to determine the distribution and coexistence of neuropeptides in perivascular nerves of the large arteries and veins of the snake, Elaphe obsoleta, using antibodies for vasoactive intestinal polypeptide, substance P, calcitonin gene-related peptide, neuropeptide Y, galanin, somatostatin, and leu-enkephalin. Blood vessels were sampled from four regions along the body of the snake: region 1, arteries and veins anterior to the heart; region 2, central vasculature 5 cm anterior and 10 cm posterior to the heart; region 3, arteries and veins in a 30-cm region posterior to the liver; and region 4, dorsal aorta and renal arteries, renal and intestinal veins, 5-30 cm cephalad of the vent. A moderate to dense distribution of vasoactive intestinal polypeptide-like immunoreactive fibres was found in most arteries and veins of regions 1-3, but fibres were absent from the vessels of region 4. The majority of vasoactive intestinal polypeptide-like immunoreactive fibres contained colocalized substance P-like immunoreactivity, and these fibres were unaffected by either capsaicin or 6-hydroxydopamine (6-OHDA) pretreatment. In the anterior section of the snake, the vagal trunks contained many cell bodies with colocalized vasoactive intestinal polypeptide and substance P-like immunoreactivity. It is suggested that the vasoactive intestinal polypeptide/substance P-like immunoreactive cell bodies and fibres are parasympathetic postganglionic nerves. Neuropeptide Y-like immunoreactive fibres were observed in all arteries and veins, being most dense in regions 3 and 4. The majority of these fibres also contained colocalized galanin-like immunoreactivity, and were absent in tissues from 6-OHDA pretreated snakes, suggesting that neuropeptide Y and galanin are colocalized in adrenergic nerves. A small number of neuropeptide Y-like immunoreactive fibres contained vasoactive intestinal polypeptide but not galanin, and were unaffected by 6-OHDA treatment. All calcitonin gene-related peptide-like immunoreactive fibres contained colocalized substance P-like immunoreactivity, and these fibres were observed in all vessels, being particularly dense in the carotid artery and jugular veins. All calcitonin gene-related peptide/substance P-like immunoreactive fibres appeared damaged after capsaicin treatment suggesting they represent fibres from afferent sensory neurons. A sparse plexus of somatostatin-like immunoreactive fibres was observed in the vessels only from region 4. No enkephalin-like immunoreactive fibres were found in any blood vessels from any region. This study provides morphological evidence to suggest that there is considerable functional specialization within the components of the rat snake peripheral autonomic system controlling the circulation, in particular the regulation of venous capacitance.

Neuropeptide content of purified rat brain cholinergic synaptosome subpopulations

Cholinergic synaptosomes from rat cerebral cortex were isolated by a magnetic immunoaffinity technique, i.e. immunomagnetophoresis. This subpopulation was extracted and subjected to radioimmunoassay for 4 neuropeptides:neuropeptide Y (NPY); vasoactive intestinal peptide (VIP); substance P (SP); and somatostatin (SRIF). Three of the 4 neuropeptides were enriched in the sorted fraction compared with the mother fraction with respect to the cytosolic marker lactate dehydrogenase (LDH). The most enriched neuropeptide was NPY followed by SP and VIP. Somatostatin was not enriched in the cholinergic synaptosome subpopulation. The presence of NPY has not previously been reported in cortical cholinergic neurones.

Neuroendocrine regulatory mechanisms in the choroid plexus-cerebrospinal fluid system

The CSF is often regarded as merely a mechanical support for the brain, as well as an unspecific sink for waste products from the CNS. New methodology in receptor autoradiography, immunohistochemistry and molecular biology has revealed the presence of many different neuroendocrine substances or their corresponding receptors in the main CSF-forming structure, the choroid plexus. Both older research on the sympathetic nerves and recent studies of peptide neurotransmitters in the choroid plexus support a neurogenic regulation of choroid plexus CSF production and other transport functions. Among the endocrine substances present in blood and CSF, 5-HT, ANP, vasopressin and the IGFs have high receptor concentrations in the choroid plexus and have been shown to influence choroid plexus function. Finally, the choroid plexus produces the growth factor IGF-II and a number of transport proteins, most importantly transthyretin, that might regulate hormone transport from blood to brain. These studies suggest that the choroid plexus-CSF system could constitute an important pathway for neuroendocrine signalling in the brain, although clearcut evidence for such a role is still largely lacking.

Tyrosine hydroxylase and neuropeptide Y are increased in ciliary ganglia of sympathectomized rats

We have examined the expression of tyrosine hydroxylase and neuropeptide Y in ciliary ganglia of normal adult rats and of adult rats in which the environment of these neurons was altered by sympathectomy at birth. Following neonatal 6-hydroxydopamine treatment, the proportion of tyrosine hydroxylase-immunoreactive and neuropeptide Y-immunoreactive neurons in ciliary ganglia was significantly increased. In ciliary neurons of both control and sympathectomized rats, neuropeptide Y immunoreactivity was preferentially co-localized with tyrosine hydroxylase. Immunoblot analysis confirmed the presence of tyrosine hydroxylase and its increase following sympathectomy. In situ hybridization studies revealed that many ciliary neurons contain mRNA for tyrosine hydroxylase and for neuropeptide Y. Like tyrosine hydroxylase immunoreactivity, the number of ciliary neurons containing tyrosine hydroxylase mRNA and the amount of mRNA per cell were increased in 6-hydroxydopamine-treated rats. In contrast, neuropeptide Y mRNA levels were the same in control and 6-hydroxydopamine-treated rats. Nerve growth factor is a candidate for mediating the effects of sympathectomy and most ciliary neurons in control and sympathectomized rats expressed immunoreactivity for the low-affinity nerve growth factor receptor. In addition, ciliary neurons from 6-hydroxydopamine-treated animals possessed increased nerve growth factor receptor immunoreactivity. These studies indicate that both tyrosine hydroxylase and neuropeptide Y in the ciliary ganglion are regulated by alterations in their environment. Their expression was enhanced by chemical sympathectomy which does not affect ciliary neurons directly but, rather, removes sympathetic innervation of shared targets, including the iris. In situ hybridization analysis suggests that the increased tyrosine hydroxylase and neuropeptide Y levels result from different mechanisms and provides evidence that neuropeptide levels can be regulated without changes in mRNA levels.

Vasoactive intestinal peptide and neuropeptide Y coexist in non-noradrenergic sympathetic neurons to guinea pig trachea

Vasoactive intestinal peptide (VIP) has been suggested to be a mediator of vagal inhibition of airway tone and it has been assumed that VIP-containing nerve fibres in the airway arise from intrinsic ganglia. We have used a combination of double- and triple-labelling immunohistochemistry, retrograde axonal tracing, organotypic culture and nerve lesion studies, to identify the origin and distribution of neurons containing immunoreactivity (IR) to VIP in guinea pig airway smooth muscle. We also investigated whether immunoreactivity to other neuropeptides coexisted with VIP-IR within these neurons. We found that all VIP-IR nerve fibres in guinea pig tracheal smooth muscle also contained IR to neuropeptide Y (NPY) but not to tyrosine hydroxylase (TH), a marker for noradrenergic neurons. Both VIP-IR and NPY-IR were absent from nerve cell bodies in the tracheal plexus. After maintenance of isolated trachea in organotypic culture for 4 days, to allow degeneration of extrinsic nerve fibres, nerve fibres containing VIP-IR or NPY-IR were almost completely absent from tracheal smooth muscle. Of ganglia known to supply the trachea, coexistence of VIP-IR and NPY-IR was found only in cell bodies of the stellate ganglion. Retrograde tracing studies using the fluorescent tracer, DiI, confirmed that the stellate ganglion was the site of origin of neurons containing VIP-IR and NPY-IR supplying the airways. These neurons projected to the airways from the stellate ganglion both directly through the mediastinum, and via the cervical sympathetic trunk and vagus nerves. These results suggest that nerve fibres containing both VIP-IR and NPY-IR in the tracheal smooth muscle of the guinea pig are derived from non-noradrenergic cell bodies in the stellate ganglion. The absence of VIP-IR from vagal post-ganglionic neurons suggests that VIP cannot be a mediator of vagal inhibitory transmission in tracheal smooth muscle of this species.

Selective excitation of parasympathetic nerve fibers to elicit the vasodilatation in cat lip

Electrical stimulation of the tongue and the proximal cut end of the lingual nerve caused a blood flow to increase in a stimulus-intensity dependent manner in the ipsilateral lower lip of the cats. Pretreatment with hexamethonium (an autonomic ganglionic blocker, 1.0 mg/kg) abolished the vasodilator response, while atropine, phentolamine, propranolol and tripelennamine had no effect on these vasoresponses. Ipsilateral sections of either the glossopharyngeal nerve root, inferior alveolar nerve or mental nerve at the main mental foramen, but not at the posterior mental foramen, abolished the vasodilator response caused by electrical stimulation of the tongue and the lingual nerve. Electrical stimulation of the distal cut ends of the glossopharyngeal nerve root and inferior alveolar nerve caused the vasodilator and vasoconstrictor responses, whereas stimulation of the tongue and the proximal cut ends of the lingual nerve did not elicit the vasoconstrictor response. These results suggest that reflex vasodilatation in the cat mandibular division is exclusively mediated via activation of the parasympathetic nerve fibers, and that selective excitation of the parasympathetic nerve fibers in the oral area is possible.

Vasoactive intestinal polypeptide and acetylcholine coexist with neuropeptide Y, dopamine-?-hydroxylase, tyrosine hydroxylase, substance P or calcitonin gene-related peptide in neuronal subpopulations in cranial parasympathetic ganglia of rat

Immunohistochemistry has been used to demonstrate that neuropeptide Y, dopamine-beta-hydroxylase, calcitonin gene-related peptide or substance P are colocalized with vasoactive intestinal polypeptide and choline acetyltransferase in subpopulations of neurons in cranial parasympathetic ganglia of rat. These comprise the ciliary, sphenopalatine, otic, glossopharyngeal-vagal and internal carotid ganglia. In the ciliary and glossopharyngeal-vagal ganglia tyrosine hydroxylase is also found in such neurons. The findings emphasize that the combined localization of dopamine-beta-hydroxylase and neuropeptide Y or the presence of tyrosine hydroxylase is not exclusively a marker for peripheral adrenergic neurons. Further, the co-localization of calcitonin gene-related peptide and substance P is not a decisive indication that a neuron is sensory in nature. It is discussed whether the presence of the enzymes and peptides other than vasoactive intestinal polypeptide is a remnant of a different expression during ontogenesis or indicates target-specific functions in the adult.

An immunocytochemical study of cutaneous innervation and the distribution of neuropeptides and protein gene product 9.5 in man and commonly employed laboratory animals

The cutaneous nerves of rat, cat, guinea pig, pig, and man were studied by immunocytochemistry to compare the staining potency of general neural markers and to investigate the density of nerves containing peptides. Antiserum to protein gene product 9.5 (PGP 9.5) stained more nerves than antisera to neurofilaments, neuron-specific enolase (NSE), and synaptophysin or histochemistry for acetylcholinesterase (AChE). Peptidergic axons showed species variation in density of distribution and were most abundant in pig and fewest in man. However, the specific peptides in nerves innervating the various structures were consistent between species. Nerve fibers immunoreactive for calcitonin gene-related peptide (CGRP) and/or vasoactive intestinal polypeptide (VIP) predominated in all the species; those immunoreactive to tachykinins (substance P and neurokinin A [NKA]) and neuropeptide tyrosine (NPY) were less abundant. Neonatal capsaicin, at the doses employed in this study, destroyed approximately 70% of CGRP- and tachykinin-immunoreactive sensory axons; whereas 6-hydroxydopamine (6-OHDA) at the doses employed resulted in a complete loss of NPY and tyrosine hydroxylase (TH) immunoreactivity without affecting VIP, CGRP, and tachykinins. Thus, this study confirms that antiserum to PGP 9.5 is the most suitable and practical marker for the demonstration of cutaneous nerves. Species differences exist in the density of peptidergic innervation, but apparently not for specific peptides. Not all sensory axons immunoreactive for CGRP and substance P/NKA are capsaicin-sensitive. However, all sympathetic TH- and NPY-immunoreactive axons are totally responsive to 6-OHDA; but no change was seen in VIP-immunoreactive axons, suggesting some demarcation of cutaneous adrenergic and cholinergic sympathetic fibers.

Increases in NPY in non-sympathetic nerve fibres supplying rat mesenteric vessels after immunosympathectomy

The effect of nerve growth factor (NGF) deprivation on developing peripheral peptide-containing nerves has been examined in Wistar rats. Animals were treated from birth for 7 days with antibodies to NGF (10 microliters/g body weight) and killed at 4 or 8 weeks of age. The nerves of the mesenteric and femoral blood vessels, vas deferns and bladder were viewed with histochemical and immunohistochemical techniques. The effectiveness of anti-NGF treatment was monitored by viewing catecholamine (CA)-containing nerves, which were virtually absent from the blood vessels, but were little affected in the vas deferens and bladder in both age groups. Immunoreactivity for substance P and calcitonin gene-related peptide was slightly reduced in the blood vessels. Immunoreactivity for neuropeptide Y (NPY) was reduced in the femoral blood vessels by 88% at both ages, but reductions in NPY immunoreactivity (NPY-IR) in the mesenteric vessels varied with age. In the mesenteric artery at 4 weeks, NPY-IR was reduced by 96% from control values, but at 8 weeks it was reduced by only 37%. Acute sympathectomy with 6-OHDA treatment reduced NPY-IR in the mesenteric artery by 98% at 4 weeks and 93% at 8 weeks. It is proposed that the increase in NPY-IR but not CA-containing nerves in the mesenteric artery between 4 and 8 weeks after immunosympathectomy is due to compensatory innervation from a non-sympathetic source (probably enteric neurons) that is available to mesenteric, but not to femoral blood vessels.

Pathogenesis of migraine

Endothelial cells are not just a semipermeable membrane that forms a barrier between the blood and the vascular smooth muscles. This cell system is a highly active metabolic endocrine organ. It not only produces a number of important substances in vascular and neural homeostasis but also inactivates vasoactive substances such as serotonin and bradykinin. In addition, it produces endothelin-1 and angiotensin II; more importantly in the context of migraine, endothelial cells produce the vasodilators prostacyclin and EDRF-NO, both of which are local (paracrine) hormones. The physiologic function of endothelial cells is affected by aspirin, which prevents prostacyclin formation but has little effect on normal blood pressure. From this information, one can infer that endothelial cell production of prostacyclin does not play an important part in normal cardiovascular control. On the other hand, the administration of Ng-monomethyl-L-arginine causes immediate increases in blood pressure. Because the administration of this substance inhibits the release of EDRF-NO, it appears that this paracrine endothelial hormone actively dilates the normal circulation. It is of cardinal importance that damage or flow perturbations of cell membranes of the endothelial lining of blood vessels cause an increased production of prostaglandins. However, smooth muscle cells underlying the endothelial lining also synthesize prostacyclin. This mechanism is thought to be held in reserve to reinforce local production of prostacyclin and vasodilatation when cell damage to the endothelial lining occurs and EDRF-No is not produced. Many theories for the causation of migraine have been proposed, and some have been reviewed. Those holding sway tend to ignore inconsistencies and cite supporting evidence in favor of their pet explanation only. I therefore have no hesitation to show that the best explanation at present, based on the most recent cellular evidence, explains all features of migraine and the response of migraineurs to therapy. The endothelial cell is the most likely site of the primary abnormality (Fig. 1). Although under physiologic circumstances perivascular innervation and endothelial systems closely interact in the control of vascular tone during pathologic conditions such as ischemia, the dominant role in protecting the circulation is endothelium-mediated. The biology of headache is so diverse and our ignorance sufficiently pervasive that the investigation of endothelial cell function may solve the mystery of migraine. To match the postulated crucial role of the endothelial cell in the pathogenesis of migraine, another cell would have to be ubiquitously present throughout the vasculature and not just confined to the central nervous system.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 400 WORDS)

Studies on colocalization of neuropeptide Y, vasoactive intestinal polypeptide, catecholamine-synthesizing enzymes and acetylcholinesterase in the larynx of the rat

In the present immunohistochemical study, the distribution of nerve fibers containing neuropeptide Y (NPY) and vasoactive intestinal polypeptide (VIP) in the larynx was examined and compared with that of fibers containing tyrosine hydroxylase (TH) and dopamine beta-hydroxylase (DBH), and with that of acetylcholinesterase (AChE)-positive nerve fibers, in intact and vagotomized rats and in rats subjected to removal of the superior cervical ganglion (SCG). Fibers showing TH/DBH-like immunoreactivity (LI) were only found in the walls of arteries and arterioles, whereas AChE-positive nerve fibers were located close to the acini and ducts of the glands, in blood vessel walls, in the perichondrium and in the lamina propria. NPY-LI and VIP-LI coexisted in local AChE-positive ganglionic cells and in a subpopulation of the AChE-positive fibers, NPY-LI also being present in some periarterial fibers showing TH/DBH-LI. Unilateral removal of the SCG eliminated the TH/DBH-innervation in the upper but not the lower parts of the larynx ipsilaterally, whereas the NPY-innervation of the arteries in the upper parts only partly disappeared and the NPY-innervation of the other structures remained unchanged. The distribution of VIP-innervation was unchanged after vagotomy and removal of the SCG. The results suggest that VIP is present in the postganglionic parasympathetic innervation, whereas NPY is present in both the postganglionic parasympathetic and sympathetic innervation of the rat larynx.

Neuropeptide Y in non-sympathetic nerves of the rat: changes during maturation but not after guanethidine sympathectomy

Non-sympathetic neuropeptide Y-containing nerves were demonstrated by their persistence after destruction of sympathetic nerve terminals by acute 6-hydroxydopamine treatment for 48 h. In order to examine whether these neuropeptide Y-containing nerves reinnervate tissues following the loss of sympathetic nerves we administered guanethidine sulphate to one-week-old rat pups for three weeks to produce a complete and long-lasting sympathectomy and we monitored the innervation of the superior cervical ganglion, mesenteric vein, vas deferens and urinary bladder by noradrenaline- and neuropeptide Y-containing nerves two and 16 weeks later (assay and histochemical observations). By two weeks the reduction in neuropeptide Y content of tissues was similar to the reduction after acute sympathectomy with 6-hydroxydopamine treatment, indicating that there was no early reinnervation by non-sympathetic neuropeptide Y-containing nerve fibres at a time when sensory transmitters increase. Furthermore, there was no reinnervation by neuropeptide Y-containing nerve fibres by the time these sympathectomized animals had reached maturity, 16 weeks after cessation of treatment. Neuropeptide Y levels increased in the superior cervical ganglion with normal maturation but decreased in the prostatic end of the vas deferens. A non-sympathetic source of neuropeptide Y demonstrated in the immature rat vas deferens was no longer evident in the mature animal.

Brain natriuretic peptide-like immunoreactive innervation of the cardiovascular and cerebrovascular systems in the rat

Atrial natriuretic peptide is a potent dilator of aorta and renal and cerebral arteries and inhibits sympathetic tone in the heart in several mammalian species. We examined the possibility that a molecule related to porcine brain natriuretic peptide (pBNP), which acts at the same receptor sites as atrial natriuretic peptide, might provide an alternative source of natriuretic peptide to the cardiovascular system in the rat. An antiserum against pBNP demonstrated profuse immunoreactive innervation of the heart, cerebrovascular tree, and renal arteries. pBNP-like immunoreactive fibers ran in bundles along the surface of the heart, innervating the atria most heavily and penetrating the ventricular myocardium along the coronary arteries. There was greater density of innervation of the right side of the heart compared with the left, particularly in the ventricles, suggesting a parasympathetic origin. The entire cerebrovascular tree was innervated by immunoreactive pBNP fibers, with the densest concentration of immunoreactive fibers along the surface of the internal carotid, middle cerebral, posterior communicating, and anterior cerebral arteries. The proximal renal arteries were not innervated, but as they approached the kidney, they were invested by bundles of immunoreactive pBNP fibers. These axons followed the major branches of the renal artery into the kidney parenchyma, running along the surface of the arterioles up to their entrance into the renal glomeruli. No immunoreactive innervation of the aorta or proximal brachiocephalic, subclavian, or carotid arteries was seen. A substance related to pBNP may serve as a neuromodulator regulating cardiac output as well as blood flow in certain vascular beds.

Neuropeptide Y- and substance P-like immunoreactive nerve fibers in the rat dura mater encephali

Density and pattern of nerve fibers with neuropeptide Y-like immunoreactivity (NPY-LI) and substance P-like immunoreactivity (SP-LI) in the rat dura mater encephali were investigated by light and electron microscopy using whole-mount preparations. NPY-LI fibers are observed throughout the encephalic dura mater. A remarkable net of NPY-LI nerve fibers is located in the walls of the sagittal and transverse sinuses. Beyond that NPY-LI network, distinct NPY-LI nerve fibers or plexus occur in the rostral falx, parietal dura mater of the olfactory bulb, supratentorial dura mater, parietal dura mater of the cerebellum, tentorium cerebelli and the ventral dura mater. Electron microscopic studies reveal that NPY-LI is exclusively located in unmyelinated axons of small and large nerve fiber bundles, with or without a perineural sheath. Immunopositive C-fibers are predominantly associated with the vascular bed. SP-LI nerve fibers have a moderate and more uniform distribution in the encephalic dura mater. A distinct plexus of SP-LI fibers follows the branches of the middle meningeal artery and the adjacent dura mater. SP-LI fibers are most prominent in the parietal dura mater of the cerebellum. Fine beaded SP-LI fibers, arising from larger SP-LI fiber bundles, are observed in close association to the capillary bed. SP-LI axons are all unmyelinated. They are found in larger nerve fiber bundles with a perineural sheath or in Schwann cells lacking any perineural sheath. The function of NPY-LI and SP-LI nerve fibers in the rat dura mater is discussed in relation to their topography, density and termination.

Changes in the levels of neuropeptide Y-LI in the external jugular vein in connection with vasoconstriction following subarachnoid haemorrhage in man. Involvement of sympathetic neuropeptide Y in cerebral vasospasm

NPY is a putative neurotransmitter mainly co-localized with noradrenaline in sympathetic fibers which innervate the cerebral vasculature. The origin of most of the perivascular NPY fibers seems to be in the superior cervical ganglion. To investigate involvement of Neuropeptide Y (NPY) mechanisms in subarachnoid haemorrhage (SAH), twenty patients with SAH were investigated. NPY-LI (-like immunoreactivity) levels in the external jugular vein were assessed using radioimmunoassay in blood samples collected post-operatively (or after SAH in non-surgical patients) on days 1,2,3, 5,7 and 9. These levels were compared with the clinical course and blood flow velocity changes monitored with ultrasonic Doppler equipment from both middle cerebral arteries (MCA) and both internal carotid arteries (ICA). Compared to NPY-LI levels in 14 controls (mean 116 +/- 3 pmol/1), increased levels (up to 253 pmol/l) and a close relationship between velocities and NPY-LI levels were found in a subpopulation of the SAH patients. When comparing the mean haemodynamic index (V MCA/ipsilateral V ICA) and mean NPY-LI levels in each of the 20 patients, a correlation of r = 0.75, p = 0.0001 was found. Increased NPY-LI were found (131 +/- 8 pmol/l) when simultaneous Doppler velocity recordings showed vasoconstriction (Haemodynamic index greater than 5) compared with samples taken when the haemodynamic index was less than 5, p less than 0.05. When MCA velocity exceeded 120 cm/sec. increased levels were found (129 +/- 9 pmol/l) compared with the conditions when MCA velocity was less than 120 cm/sec (113 +/- 5 pmol/l), p = 0.06. The results indicate a possible NPY involvement in cerebral vasoconstriction after SAH.

Localization and characterization of neuropeptide Y in the brain of Microcebus murinus (Primate, Lemurian)

The distribution of neuropeptide Y (NPY) in the brain of the lemur Microcebus murinus was determined by immunocytochemistry with the aid of a highly specific antiserum against synthetic porcine NPY. When compared with previous immunohistochemical data obtained in primates and other mammalian species, the localization of NPY-immunoreactive (IR) structures in the Microcebus murinus brain revealed particular features. (1) Numerous NPY-IR perikarya and a dense network of IR nerve terminals were found in the supraoptic and suprachiasmatic nuclei, respectively. The occurrence of NPY-IR perikarya in the supraoptic nucleus, also reported in the squirrel monkey, seems to be specific to primates. In the squirrel monkey, the suprachiasmatic nucleus exhibits only a moderate innervation, whereas in humans it appears totally devoid of NPY-IR fibers. (2) IR perikarya and axon processes were observed in many upper brainstem areas, in particular in the interpeduncular, raphe pontine, dorsal tegmental, parabrachial, and dorsal raphe nuclei, in the locus coeruleus, the nucleus of the solitary tract, and the reticular formation; in this latter area, the occurrence of two categories of NPY-IR neurons was demonstrated on the basis of their morphology and localization, suggesting that they may play distinct roles. (3) NPY-IR nerve processes could be traced over a long distance. (4) For the first time, numerous NPY-IR terminals were observed close to the lumen of the various cerebral ventricles. The immunoreactive NPY-like peptide was characterized by combining high performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) analysis and radioimmunoassay quantification. The dilution curves obtained with synthetic porcine NPY and serial dilutions of occipital cortex, paraventricular and supraoptic hypothalamus, posterior hypothalamus, medulla oblongata, or preoptic area extracts were parallel. The highest amounts of NPY were measured in the hypothalamus and telencephalon. HPLC analysis resolved a single peak of NPY-like immunoreactivity that exhibited the same retention time as synthetic porcine NPY. The distribution of NPY in the lemurian brain is discussed with respect to phylogeny and putative functions.

Changes in expression of autonomic nerves in aging and disease

Mechanisms of autonomic neuroeffector transmission are summarised, including evidence for a multiplicity of transmitters, co-transmission, neuromodulation and 'chemical coding' of individual autonomic neurons, where the combination of transmitters they contain is known, as well as their projections and central connections. Changes in expression of autonomic nerves and co-transmitters that occur during development and aging, following trauma, surgery, after chronic exposure to drugs, and in a number of disease situations are described. It is suggested that in neuropathological analysis, compensatory increases in innervation should be considered as well as loss or damage to nerves. Studies of the molecular mechanisms involved in the control of co-transmitter and receptor expression are now needed.

Pregnancy reduces noradrenaline but not neuropeptide levels in the uterine artery of the guinea-pig

Using histochemical, immunohistochemical and biochemical techniques, noradrenaline-, neuropeptide Y-, vasoactive intestinal polypeptide-, substance P- and calcitonin gene-related peptide-containing nerve fibres were studied in the uterine artery of virgin, progesterone-treated and pregnant guinea-pigs. Morphological changes following hormone treatment or in pregnancy were also evaluated in a quantitative study on semithin sections of the uterine artery. In late pregnancy, the number of noradrenaline-containing nerve fibres, which formed the densest plexus in virgin animals, was significantly decreased, a finding supported by a significant reduction in noradrenaline levels. This reduction was not mimicked by systemic progesterone treatment. In contrast, the innervation of the uterine artery by neuropeptide Y-containing nerve fibres was increased in pregnancy, while the other peptidergic nerves and peptide levels were unchanged after progesterone treatment and in pregnancy. These changes led to a predominance of innervation by neuropeptide Y- rather than noradrenaline-containing nerve fibres in late pregnancy. No morphological changes were detected following progesterone treatment, but pregnancy led to a marked increase in the cross-sectional area of the vessel accompanied by an increase in the thickness of the media.