Abstract
We investigated the origin of galanin-positive nerve fibers on motor endplates in rat esophagus using anterograde 1,1′-dioleyl-3,3,3′,3′-tetramethylindocarbocyanine methane sulfonate (DiI) tracing from the nucleus ambiguus combined with galanin immunocytochemistry and calcitonin gene-related peptide immunocytochemistry. To demonstrate spatial relationships of galanin-positive nerve fibers to vagal and enteric nerve fibers on motor endplates, we combined galanin immunocytochemistry with calcitonin gene-related peptide immunostaining for labeling of vagal terminals, and vasoactive intestinal peptide immunoreactivity and NADPH-diaphorase histochemistry for demonstration of enteric nerve fibers. Within fine varicose nerve fibers, galanin was colocalized with vasoactive intestinal peptide and NADPH-diaphorase to a high degree and turned out to be completely separated from calcitonin gene-related peptide-positive or anterogradely DiI-labeled vagal motor terminals. These results indicate that the enteric nervous system is the most important and possibly the only source of galanin-positive nerve terminals on motor endplates in rat esophagus. Galanin may be, in addition to nitric oxide and vasoactive intestinal peptide, a mediator of the enteric coinnervation of striated muscle in this organ.
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Received: 22 October 1997 / Accepted: 6 January 1998
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Wörl, J., Fischer, J. & Neuhuber, W. Nonvagal origin of galanin-containing nerve terminals innervating striated muscle fibers of the rat esophagus. Cell Tissue Res 292, 453–461 (1998). https://doi.org/10.1007/s004410051074
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s004410051074