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Sensory and autonomic innervation of non-hairy and hairy human skin

An immunohistochemical study

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Summary

Non-hairy and hairy human skin were investigated with the use of the indirect immunohistochemical technique employing antisera to different neuronal and non-neuronal structural proteins and neurotransmitter candidates. Fibers immunoreactive to antisera against neurofilaments, neuron-specific enolase, myelin basic protein, protein S-100, substance P, neurokinin A, neuropeptide Y, tyrosine hydroxylase and vasoactive intestinal polypeptide (VIP) were detected in the skin with specific distributional patterns. Neurofilament-, neuron-specific enolase-, myelin basic protein-, protein S-100-, substance P-, neurokinin A-and vasoactive intestinal polypeptide (VIP)-like immunoreactivities were found in or in association with sensory nerves; moreover, neuron-specific enolase-, myelin basic protein-, protein S-100, neuropeptide Y-, tyrosine hydroxylase- and vasoactive intestinal polypeptide (VIP)-like immunoreactivities occurred in or in association with autonomic nerves. It was concluded that antiserum against neurofilaments labels sensory nerve fibers exclusively, whereas neuron-specific enolase-, myelin basic protein- and protein S-100-like immunoreactivities are found in or in association with both sensory and autonomic nerves. Substance P- and neurokinin A-like immunoreactivities were observed only in sensory nerve fibers, and neuropeptide Y- and tyrosine hydroxylase-like immunoreactivities occurred only in autonomic nerve fibers, whereas vasoactive intestinal polypeptide (VIP)-like immunoreactivity was seen predominantly in autonomic nerves, but also in some sensory nerve fibers.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Departments of Histology and Anatomy, Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm, Sweden

    H. Björklund, C. -J. Dalsgaard, C. -E. Jonsson & A. Hermansson

  2. Department of Plastic Surgery, Karolinska Hospital, Stockholm, Sweden

    H. Björklund, C. -J. Dalsgaard, C. -E. Jonsson & A. Hermansson

Authors
  1. H. Björklund
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  2. C. -J. Dalsgaard
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  3. C. -E. Jonsson
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  4. A. Hermansson
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Björklund, H., Dalsgaard, C.J., Jonsson, C.E. et al. Sensory and autonomic innervation of non-hairy and hairy human skin. Cell Tissue Res. 243, 51–57 (1986). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00221851

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00221851

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