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Substance P in the vagus nerve

Immunochemical and immunohistochemical evidence for axoplasmic transport

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Summary

  1. 1.

    The presence of immunoreactive substance P (I-SP) in the vagus nerve of 5 species was demonstrated by radioimmunoassay. Different amounts of SP per unit weight were found: Guinea pig > cat > rabbit, rat and cattle.

  2. 2.

    Infranodose ligations of the vagus nerve of cats and rabbits caused an accumulation of I-SP proximal but not distal to the ligation. The results obtained by radioimmunoassay and immunohistochemistry indicate a somatofugal axoplasmic transport of SP.

  3. 3.

    Double ligation experiments revealed that about 37% of I-SP of the cat vagus nerve are mobile. The transport rate of this mobile I-SP was found to be 170 mm per day.

  4. 4.

    Locally applied colchicine resulted in a similar accumulation of I-SP as after ligations. This is evidence favouring the involvement of microtubuli in the axoplasmic transport of SP.

  5. 5.

    Immunohistochemical data show that SP-fibers account for about 10% of the axons in the cat vagus nerve. Most of these SP-fibers seem to be unmyelinated.

  6. 6.

    Supranodose extracranial ligations of the cat vagus nerve led to an accumulation of I-SP on both sides of the ligature. Part of the SP-fibers are, therefore, afferent and their cell bodies are located in the nodose ganglion. The presence of efferent SP-fibers cannot be excluded.

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Author notes

  1. A. C. Cuello

    Present address: Dept. of Pharmacology, Oxford University, South Parks Road, OX1 3QT, Oxford, England

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Institut für Experimentelle und Klinische Pharmakologie, Universitätsplatz 4, A-8010, Graz, Austria

    R. Gamse & F. Lembeck

  2. MRC Neurochemical Pharmacology Unit, Department of Pharmacology, Hills Road, CB2 2 QH, Cambridge, England

    A. C. Cuello

Authors
  1. R. Gamse
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  2. F. Lembeck
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  3. A. C. Cuello
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Additional information

The investigation was supported by grant No. 3506 of the Fonds zur Förderung der wissenschaftlichen forschung Österreichs and by grant No. 1293 of the Jubiläumsstiftung der Österreichischen Nationalbank.

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Gamse, R., Lembeck, F. & Cuello, A.C. Substance P in the vagus nerve. Naunyn-Schmiedeberg's Arch. Pharmacol. 306, 37–44 (1979). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00515591

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00515591

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