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THE DENSITY OF ADRENERGIC NERVES AT VARIOUS LEVELS IN THE GUINEA‐PIG LUNG
Author(s) -
O'Donnell Stella R.,
Saar Nili,
Wood L. J.
Publication year - 1978
Publication title -
clinical and experimental pharmacology and physiology
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.752
H-Index - 103
eISSN - 1440-1681
pISSN - 0305-1870
DOI - 10.1111/j.1440-1681.1978.tb00681.x
Subject(s) - nialamide , adrenergic , reflex , bronchodilatation , lung , guinea pig , anatomy , airway , chemistry , medicine , endocrinology , anesthesia , receptor , asthma , salbutamol
SUMMARY 1. Guinea‐pig tracheal and lung segments were systematically examined for adrenergic nerves using the fluorescence histochemical technique. Fluorescence in nerves was enhanced with α‐methylnoradrenaline or by pretreating the animals with nialamide. 2. There was a progressive decrease in density of fluorescent fibres in airway smooth muscle from the laryngeal end of the trachea, which was densely innervated, to the bronchioles, which contained only occasional fibres. This was despite obvious fluorescence in blood vessels in the lung. 3. It is suggested that, if adrenergic nerves are involved in reflex bronchodilatation in this species, they directly control larger airways and other factors, e.g. non‐adrenergic inhibitory nerves, may be important in the control of smaller airways.