Skip Navigation

This Article
Right arrow FREE Full Text (PDF) Freely available
Right arrow Alert me when this article is cited
Right arrow Alert me if a correction is posted
Services
Right arrow Email this article to a friend
Right arrow Similar articles in this journal
Right arrow Similar articles in PubMed
Right arrow Alert me to new issues of the journal
Right arrow Add to My Personal Archive
Right arrow Download to citation manager
Right arrow Search for citing articles in:
ISI Web of Science (6)
Right arrowRequest Permissions
Right arrow Disclaimer
Google Scholar
Right arrow Articles by Gai, W. P.
Right arrow Articles by Blessing, W. W.
Right arrow Search for Related Content
PubMed
Right arrow PubMed Citation
Right arrow Articles by Gai, W. P.
Right arrow Articles by Blessing, W. W.
Social Bookmarking
Add to CiteULike   Add to Connotea   Add to Del.icio.us  
What's this?

Brain, Vol. 119, No. 4, 1145-1152, 1996
© 1996 Guarantors of Brain

research-article

Human brainstem preganglionic parasympathetic neurons localized by markers for nitric oxide synthesis

W. P. Gai and W. W. Blessing

Departments of Medicine and Physiology and Centre for Neuroscience, Flinders University Australia

Correspondence to: Correspondence to: W. P Gai, Department of Physiology, Flinders Medical Centre, Bedford Park, SA, Australia 5042

Identification of human parasympathetic preganglionic neurons in pontomedullary regions has been largely based on studies using cholinesterase histochemical procedures, and so far there is no adequate account of the location of these cells. Nitric oxide synthase (NOS) is present in brainstem parasympathetic preganglionic salivatory neurons in the rabbit (Zhu et al., 1996). In the present study we have used histochemical and immunohistochemical staining for NOS to examine possible preganglionic parasympathetic neurons in the human brainstem. We examined, in five human brains, the distribution, through the caudal pons and rostral medulla, of NOS-positive neurons in serial sections stained with NADPH diaphorase for histochemistry, and with antibodies against neuronal NOS peptide for immunohistochemistry. In scattered pontomedullary regions (rostral to the dorsal motor nucleus and the nucleus ambiguus) known to contain parasympathetic preganglionic neurons in animals, we observed groups of NOS-positive neurons which correspond in morphology and distribution with NOS-positive parasympathetic preganglionic neurons in rabbits. These neurons are probably parasympathetic preganglionic neurons in the human brainstem, involved in the control of lacrimation, salivation, oral and nasopharyngeal secretion, as well as the control of the dilation of extra-and intracranial blood vessels.

nitric oxide synthase; parasympathetic preganglionic; human brainstem; lacrimation; salivation

Received November 15, 1995. Revised February 3, 1996. Accepted February 16, 1996.


Add to CiteULike CiteULike   Add to Connotea Connotea   Add to Del.icio.us Del.icio.us    What's this?


This article has been cited by other articles:


Home page
 IOVSHome page
F. Schrodl, A. Brehmer, W. L. Neuhuber, and D. Nickla
The autonomic facial nerve pathway in birds: a tracing study in chickens.
Invest. Ophthalmol. Vis. Sci., August 1, 2006; 47(8): 3225 - 3233.
[Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

Home page
 J. Appl. Physiol.Home page
P. Kc, C. A. Mayer, and M. A. Haxhiu
Chemical profile of vagal preganglionic motor cells innervating the airways in ferrets: the absence of noncholinergic neurons
J Appl Physiol, October 1, 2004; 97(4): 1508 - 1517.
[Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

Home page
 IOVSHome page
S. Cuthbertson, M. S. LeDoux, S. Jones, J. Jones, Q. Zhou, S. Gong, P. Ryan, and A. Reiner
Localization of Preganglionic Neurons That Innervate Choroidal Neurons of Pterygopalatine Ganglion
Invest. Ophthalmol. Vis. Sci., September 1, 2003; 44(9): 3713 - 3724.
[Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

Home page
 Cardiovasc ResHome page
J. Zanzinger
Role of nitric oxide in the neural control of cardiovascular function
Cardiovasc Res, August 15, 1999; 43(3): 639 - 649.
[Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]


Disclaimer: Please note that abstracts for content published before 1996 were created through digital scanning and may therefore not exactly replicate the text of the original print issues. All efforts have been made to ensure accuracy, but the Publisher will not be held responsible for any remaining inaccuracies. If you require any further clarification, please contact our Customer Services Department.