Cytochemical characteristics of the axon membrane at nodes of Ranvier in resting, tetrodotoxin-blocked, and electrically stimulated peripheral nerves of the rat

Spatial and morphological differentiation of trigger zones in afferent fibers to the teleost utricle

A morphological correlate of the trigger site (the locus of action potential initiation) was identified in afferent axons of the utricle in the ear of two species of teleost fish. These sites were identified by the ferric-ferrocyanide (Prussian blue) cytochemical procedure and they were correlated with the geometries of afferent intraepithelial arbors as visualized by means of a silver stain. The intraepithelial arbors of afferent fibers show regional distributions that correlate with axon diameter and Prussian blue staining. Afferent axons with diameters greater than 4-5 microns only innervate the striola regions of the epithelium and terminate as one of two distinct types of intraepithelial arbors. Afferent axons with diameters smaller than 4 microns are ubiquitously distributed throughout the epithelium. Arbors that stained by Prussian blue within the utricular epithelium are restricted to the striolar regions. These arbors possess nodal-like membrane in different branches as postsynaptic membrane. Afferents that innervate hair cells in the extrastriolar epithelial regions stained with Prussian blue only at the extraepithelial terminal heminode. The postsynaptic membrane of these afferents is passive or dendritic-like.

Cation-binding sites in trigeminal ganglia and maxillary nerve: unusual reactivity of perikarya, stem axons and satellite cells

We have used the cupric/ferrocyanide reaction to study cation-binding in trigeminal ganglia and maxillary nerve of adult rats. Unmyelinated axons did not react, whereas myelinated axons were stained at nodal, paranodal or cleft sites. At 'nodal' sites, metallic deposits were found in the axoplasm, along the axolemma, and at the extracellular interfaces of the paranodal myelin. At 'paranodal' sites, particles were concentrated in the paranodal axoplasm and in the intracellular spaces of the myelin loops. Most maxillary axons examined at successive sites had all nodal or all paranodal staining, but 13 of 51 had a mixture. In trigeminal ganglia there was no staining of perineurial sheath, endoneurial cells or mast cells. Satellite cells and their basal laminae were prominently stained, with those around small neurons more reactive than those of large neurons. Patches of neuronal membrane on cell bodies were stained, more often for small than large neurons. The axon hillock and proximal stem axon were not stained in some cases, but approximately half the neurons had staining of perikaryal cytoplasm at the axon hillock or a dense asymmetric band in the proximal stem axon. Strong intraaxonal staining was found at the junction between unmyelinated proximal and myelinated distal stem axon. In distal stem axons, staining was found at the first myelin segment and at each successively thicker myelin segment; staining was mostly weak and paranodal, with intensity proportional to myelin thickness. The T-junction between stem and main myelinated axon had nodal or paranodal patterns; unmyelinated T-junctions were not stained. The varied cation-binding patterns in trigeminal ganglia show unusual properties of satellite cells and important differences between stem and main axons. The results that the cell membrane of axon hillock and proximal stem regions of many sensory large and small neurons may have numerous sodium channels and could affect signal propagation.