Research paper
Calbindin-immunoreactive nerve terminals in the guinea pig coeliac ganglion originate from colonic nerve cells

https://doi.org/10.1016/0165-1838(91)90056-9Get rights and content

Abstract

Previous work has shown that calbindin-immunoreactive (calbindin-IR) nerve terminals are numerous in guinea pig prevertebral ganglia. A high proportion of those colonic nerve cells that project to the inferior mesenteric ganglia are calbindin-IR, but none of the neurons that project from the small intestine to the coeliac ganglion are immunoreactive for calbindin. The present work was designed to determine the source of the calbindin-IR fibres and the pathways by which they reach the coeliac ganglion. Sections through the major nerve trunks that connect with the coeliac ganglion revealed numerous calbindin-IR fibres in the inferior coeliac nerves and in the intermesenteric nerves, while there were very few fibres in the splanchnic or superior coeliac nerves. When all peripheral nerve connections to a lobe of the coeliac ganglion were cut, all calbindin-IR terminals degenerated. Cutting the ileo-caeco-colic nerves caused a substantial reduction in the density of nerve fibres in the coeliac ganglion, whereas no significant reduction could be detected when the intermesenteric nerves were cut. However, lesion of both the ileo-caeco-colic and intermesenteric nerves caused all the calbindin-IR nerve fibres in the coeliac ganglion to degenerate. It is concluded that most or all of the calbindin-reactive nerve terminals in the coeliac ganglion originate from the large intestine and that most reach the ganglion via the ileo-caeco-colic nerves. Thus many colonic intestinofugal neurons, supplying both the coeliac and inferior mesenteric ganglia, are immunoreactive for calbindin, whereas small intestinal intestinofugal neurons are not immunoreactive for this protein.

References (33)

  • B. Lindh et al.

    Distribution and origin of peptide-containing nerve fibres in the celiac superior mesenteric ganglion of the guinea pig

    Neuroscience

    (1988)
  • M. Schultzberg et al.

    Enteric origin of bombesin immunoreactive fibres in rat coeliac-superior mesenteric ganglion

    Brain Res.

    (1983)
  • W.A. Weems et al.

    Modulation of colonic motility by peripheral neuronal inputs to the neurons of the inferior mesenteric ganglion

    Gastroenterology

    (1977)
  • P.J. Crowcroft et al.

    Excitatory input from the distal colon to the inferior mesenteric ganglion in the guinea pig

    J. Physiol. (Lond.)

    (1971)
  • J.B. Furness et al.

    Immunohistochemical evidence for the presence of calcium-binding proteins in enteric neurons

    Cell Tissue Res.

    (1988)
  • J.B. Furness et al.

    Chemical coding of neurons and plurichemical transmission

    Annu. Rev. Pharmacol. Toxicol.

    (1989)
  • Cited by (20)

    View all citing articles on Scopus
    View full text