A SUBPOPULATION OF LARGE NEURONS OF THE SYMPATHETIC SUPERIOR CERVICAL-GANGLION INNERVATES THE NGF-RICH SUBMANDIBULAR SALIVARY-GLAND IN YOUNG-ADULT AND AGED MICE
S. Lahtivirta et al., A SUBPOPULATION OF LARGE NEURONS OF THE SYMPATHETIC SUPERIOR CERVICAL-GANGLION INNERVATES THE NGF-RICH SUBMANDIBULAR SALIVARY-GLAND IN YOUNG-ADULT AND AGED MICE, Journal of the autonomic nervous system, 50(3), 1995, pp. 283-289
One of the main target organs of the sympathetic superior cervical gan
glion (SCG) is the submandibular salivary gland, which in male mice ha
s a high concentration of endogenous NGF. To study the subpopulation o
f SCG neurons which innervate the submandibular glands in young adult
and aged mice, a retrograde tracing with a fluorescent dye Fluoro-Gold
(Fluorochrome, Englewood, CO, USA) was performed. Fluoro-Gold was int
roduced into the base of the submandibular salivary gland in anaesthet
ized animals. Four days later, both ipsilateral and contralateral SCG
were studied. The results of the tracing were as follows: (a) in both
young adult and aged mice about 45% of the sympathetic neurons of the
SCG innervate the ipsilateral submandibular salivary gland; (b) the ne
urons innervating the submandibular gland form a subpopulation of larg
e-sized neurons; (c) in young adult mice some 10% of SCG neurons inner
vate the contralateral SCG, while in aged mice only 1-2% have the same
effect.