ORIGIN AND PEPTIDE CONTENT OF NERVE-FIBERS IN THE NASAL-MUCOSA OF RATS

Injection of the retrograde neuronal tracer True blue into the anterio r-lateral part of the nasal mucosa of rats labeled nerve cell bodies i n the superior cervical ganglion, the sphenopalatine ganglion, the oti c ganglion and the trigeminal ganglion on the ipsilateral side. In the superior cervical ganglion, the sphenopalatine ganglion and the trige minal ganglion on the contralateral side, very few nerve cell bodies w ere labeled, indicating that these ganglia provide minor contributions only. The number of labeled cell bodies indicates that the superior c ervical ganglion, the sphenopalatine ganglion and the trigeminal gangl ion contribute most to the innervation of the nose, while the contribu tion from the otic ganglion is minor. Cell bodies in the superior cerv ical ganglion harbored noradrenaline (NA) or NA/neuropeptide Y (NPY); in the sphenopalatine ganglion vasoactive intestinal peptide (VIP) or VIP/NPY; in the otic ganglion VIP, VIP/NPY or VIP/substance P (SP) and in the trigeminal ganglion calcitonin gene-related peptide (CGRP) or CGRP/SP. The results from denervations and tracer experiments suggest that all NA-containing and the majority of NPY-containing fibers in th e nasal mucosa are derived from the superior cervical ganglion (sympat hetic nerve supply). VIP- and VIP/NPY-containing fibers originate from the sphenopalatine and otic ganglia (parasympathetic nerve supply). N erve fibers containing CGRP and CGRP/SP emanate from the trigeminal ga nglion (sensory nerve supply).