Abstract
The relationship between nitric oxide synthase (NOS)- and galanin-immunoreactive nerve terminals and the origin of NOS-immunoreactive nerve terminals on the motor endplates in the striated muscles of the rat esophagus was investigated. Double immunohistochemical staining revealed a dual innervation of motor endplates by calcitonin gene-related peptide (CGRP)-immunoreactive axons and by axons that were immunoreactive for both NOS and galanin. On average, 91% of NOS terminals were galanin immunoreactive. NOS-immunoreactive fibers were revealed at 67% of endplates, identified by the presence of CGRP terminals. The left vagus and superior laryngeal nerve were cut and 15 days allowed for terminals to degenerate. This caused a significant loss of CGRP fibers, but did not affect the density of innervation of the striated muscle by NOS-immunoreactive fibers. Thus the NOS/galanin fibers are deduced to originate from ganglia in the esophageal wall. This is supported by our observation of numerous NOS-immunoreactive nerve cell bodies in the myenteric ganglia of the esophagus, 74% of which were galanin immunoreactive. There were no CGRP-immunoreactive nerve cell bodies in the wall of the esophagus.
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Received: 25 March 1998 / Accepted: 22 September 1998
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Kuramoto, H., Kawano, H., Sakamoto, H. et al. Motor innervation by enteric nerve fibers containing both nitric oxide synthase and galanin immunoreactivities in the striated muscle of the rat esophagus. Cell Tissue Res 295, 241–245 (1999). https://doi.org/10.1007/s004410051230
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s004410051230