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Possible axo-axonal synapses between peripheral adrenergic and cholinergic nerve terminals

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Summary

The relations between adrenergic and cholinergic terminals were studied in rat iris and rat heart with the electron microscope. Adrenergic terminals were identified by treating the animals with 5-hydroxydopamine, which produces dense-cored synaptic vesicles in adrenergic terminals in tissues fixed in glutaraldehyde and osmium. The specificity of this observation was verified. It was found that adrenergic and cholinergic nerve terminals often come in close contact with one another, the distance between the adjoining membranes being about 250 Å. At times, faint membrane thickenings could be observed in these places. The available pharmacological, physiological, and morphological evidence leaves little room for doubt that cholinergic terminal fibres can influence the adrenergic fibres. From mainly morphological evidence, it is also postulated that adrenergic terminals influence cholinergic ones.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Experimental Ophthalmology and Institute of Anatomy and Histology, University of Lund, Lund, Sweden

    B. Ehinger, B. Falck & B. Sporrong

Authors
  1. B. Ehinger
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  2. B. Falck
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  3. B. Sporrong
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Additional information

This work was supported by grants from the United States Public Health Service (06701-04), the Faculty of Medicine, University of Lund, Lund, Sweden and the Swedish Medical Research Council (B70-14X-2321-03 and B70-14X-712-05). Svenska sällskapet för medicinsk forskning.

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Ehinger, B., Falck, B. & Sporrong, B. Possible axo-axonal synapses between peripheral adrenergic and cholinergic nerve terminals. Z. Zellforsch. 107, 508–521 (1970). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00335438

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