Ultrastructural innervation pattern of nasal mucosal glands.

Background: Seromucous glands are one of the main components of human nasal mucosa. The innervation pattern is important to understand the control of the different physiological glandular functions. In addition to light-micro scopical findings electronmicroscopic investigations were performed to get more detailed information on the innervation of nasal glands. Patients and Methods: Tissue samples of 16 human inferior turbinates were taken during n asal surgery and preserved in Unicryl or 3.5% phosphate-buffered glutaralde hyde. After fixation ultrathin sections were cut. Electron microscopical st ructures were photodocumented by using a transmission-electron microscope ( EM 902 A Zeiss). Results: Few axons were Found in the periglandular tissue. No myo- or glandular-neural tight junctions could be identified. Unmyelina ted nerve fibers showed typical components such as neurofilaments, neurotub ules and mitochondria in their cytoplasm. An additional control of the glan dular secretion by the vascular tone of the fenestrated capillary vessels w ill be discussed. Conclusions: Based on these ultra-morphological findings further immunoelectron microscopical investigations will follow to demonstr ate the various neurotransmitters and their distribution in periglandular a xons.