Browsing by Subject "Ganglia"

Now showing 1 - 4 of 4
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    Localization of NADPH-diaphorase activity
    (Murcia : F. Hernández, 1995) Tay, S.S.W.
    NADPH-diaphorase activity was localized in pancreatic ganglia of the young chick. At 1 day posthatching, 60% of the neurons in the pancreatic ganglia were NADPH-diaphorase positive. In each neuron, the NADPH-diaphorase labelling was localized mainly in the cytoplasm of the cell body and its proximal processes, but not in the cell nucleus. There was a gradation in the labelling for the enzyme, with some neurons being heavily labelled while others were lightly to moderately labelled. At 7 days post-hatching, 100% of the pancreatic neurons showed NADPH-diaphorase activity and the average size of the NADPH-diaphorase positive neurons had also increased. By 14 days posthatching, al1 the neurons present were heavily labelled for NADPH-diaphorase activity. Some of the labelled nerve processes traversed long distances and finally terminated on other ganglia as well as on the exocrine acinar or endocrine cells. It is concluded that this increase in NADPH-diaphoraseINOS activity in the pancreatic neurons is possibly correlated to the increase in modulation of neurotransmission in the young chick.
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    Morphology and neurochemistry of the pelvic, and paracervical ganglia
    (Murcia : F. Hernández, 1993) Mitchell, B.S.
    Autonomic ganglia are relays in the distribution of nerve fibres in the peripheral nervous system. In the pelvis there are local ganglion formations in the pathway of nerve fibres to and from pelvic viscera and vasculature: in rodents these are the male anterior major pelvic ganglion and the female paracervical ganglion (Frankenhauser's ganglion). They are unusual in that they contain both sympathetic and parasympathetic ganglion cells. Homologous formations occur in humans. Since the best studied examples of these ganglionic formations are rodent ganglia the latter are reviewed in terms of their gross anatomy, cell morphology and immunohistochemistry. The synaptology, and neurotransmitter and neuropeptide contents of the neurona1 perikarya and nerve terminals, of the ganglia are discussed in relation to the concepts of coexistence and chemical coding in autonomic ganglia in general. The neuropeptide content of the nerve fibres projecting to their visceral targets is described and discussed in functional terms. Conclusions are drawn with respect to the contributions made by study of these ganglia to further understanding of the organisation of the autonomic nervous system in general. The possible link between the autonomic nervous system and the endocrine system is discussed with respect to control of pelvic visceral activities.
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    Myenteric plexus in the gastrointestinal tract of non-obese diabetic mice
    (Murcia : F. Hernández, 1998) Spangeus, A.; El-Salhy, M.
    The myenteric plexus was investigated in the gastrointestinal tract of pre-diabetic and diabetic nonobese diabetic (NOD) mice. The plexus was immunostained by the avidin-biotin complex method, using a general marker for nerve elements, namely protein geneproduct 9.5. The nerve fibres were quantified by pointcounting and the number of ganglia and their area were determined by image analysis. The relative volume density of the nerve fibres in duodenal muscularis propria was found to be significantly reduced in of both pre-diabetic and diabetic NOD mice. There was no statistical difference between controls and NOD mice regarding relative volume density of nerve fibres in antral and colonic muscularis propria. The number of myenteric ganglialmm baseline was significantly decreased in the duodenum of diabetic NOD mice, and showed a non-statistically significant tendency to decrease in pre-diabetic mice. In the antrum and colon, there was no difference between the controls and NOD mice regarding the number of ganglialmm baseline. Nor was there any significant difference between controls and NOD mice in the area of myenteric ganglia in either antrum, duodenum or colon. It is concluded that the changes in the duodenal myenteric plexus of NOD mice are prior to the onset of diabetes. It is suggested that the absence of changes in the antral and colonic myenteric plexus when using a general marker for neuroelements does not preclude a possible change in cholinergic, adrenergic or peptidergic innervation.
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    Ultrastructure of murine cardiac ganglia in experimental Chagas's disease
    (Murcia : F. Hernández, 1992) Wong, W. C.; Tan, C.K.; Singh, M.; Yick, T. Y.
    Albino mice, infected with Trypanosoma cruzi (Tulahuen strain) were sacrificed on days 7, 9, 12, 14, 16, 18, 21, 32 and 39 following infection. Transmission electron microscopic examination of the cardiac ganglia revealed no ultrastructural change at day 7. At day 9 there was peri- and intraganglionic monocytic infiltration but parasites were absent. Between days 12 and 16 there was intense monocytic infiltration, with intra-ganglionic presence of parasites within fibroblasts, monocytes and macrophages. None were seen within capsular cells, endothelial cells, Schwann cells, statellite cells and ganglion cells. The Schwann cells and satellite cells, however, showed phagocytic activity. Satellite cells were also reactive with proliferative pseudopodia which encircled neuronal processes. By day 18, parasites were absent in the ganglia. But monocytes were still present up to day 39, some of them still engulfing satellite cell and neuronal processes. Satellite cells continued to be reactive and Schwann cells phagocytic. Ganglion cells remained normal throughout the experiment.The results suggest that infection of Schwann cells, satellite cells and ganglion cells may depend upon the tissue tropism of the strain of the parasite used and its concentration in the inoculum. The results are consistent with the view that any parasympathetic dysfunction in experimental Chaga's disease in the mouse may be of a transient nature.