MORPHOLOGICAL-STUDY OF THE INTRAPHARYNGEAL GANGLIA AND GANGLIONIC NEURONS IN CATS

The distribution, number and nature of intrapharyngeal ganglia and the ir neurons in cats were examined by means of serial sections, histoche mical and immunohistochemical methods. Six to eight large ganglia arou nd the palatine tonsils and five to eight small ganglia in the laterod orsal wall of pharyngeal mucous membrane were observed. The intraphary ngeal ganglionic neuron (25-30 mu m in diameter) totalled 600-800 and more than 80% of them were located around the palatine tonsils. The ga nglionic neurons were acetylcholinesterase reaction positive. On immun ohistochemistry, many choline acetyltransferase-immunoreactive and vas oactive intestinal polypeptide-immunoreactive neurons and a few tyrosi ne hydroxylase-immunoreactive nerve cells were found, but no calcitoni n gene-related peptide-immunoreactive or substance P-immunoreactive ne urons were recognized in the ganglion. The present findings indicate t hat intrapharyngeal ganglionic neurons are mainly parasympathetic and partially sympathetic in nature.