Acetylcholinesterase (AChE) – Positive Innervation of the Guinea-Pig Spleen

Katarína Schmidtová,Eva Mechírová,Monika Kočišová,Mária Siroťáková

doi:10.14712/18059694.2018.93

Katarína Schmidtová, Eva Mechírová + Show 2 more

Open Access

https://doi.org/10.14712/18059694.2018.93

Copy DOI

Abstract

The presence and intraorgan distribution of the acetylcholinesterase (AChE)-positive nerve structures in the guinea-pig spleen were studied by means of the direct thiocholine method. Visualized AChE-positive nerve fibres entered the guinea-pig spleen at its hilum in the vicinity of the splenic artery branches and intra parenchyma were gradually distributed to form thicker periarterial nerves and also fine adventitial nerve plexus. In described topography the AChE-positive nerve fibres were identified in association with the central artery running through the white pulp. Some of the perivascular nerve fibres associated with the central artery extended away and passed into the periarterial lymphatic sheath (PALS) to reach the marginal zone and in continuation entered into the mantle zone of lymphatic follicles. Several AChE-positive nerve fibres were seen in the red pulp but less in the splenic capsule. We did not find any AChE-positive nerve cells in the guinea-pig spleen.

Highlights

Primary and secondary lymphopoietic organs play important role in the immune reactions of organism and their functions are under influence of autonomous nervous system
The nerve fibres were gradually distributed inside the parenchyma of the spleen at first with trabecular arteries and further in association with the central artery running through the white pulp
Delicate nerve fibres were recorded in the mantle zone (T-lymphocytes) of lymphatic follicles encircling their germinal centers, as a rule, they did not penetrate into the germinal centre (Fig. 3)

Summary

Introduction

Primary and secondary lymphopoietic organs play important role in the immune reactions of organism and their functions are under influence of autonomous nervous system. The presence of autonomous nerve structures in the parenchyma of lymphopoetic organs establishes an anatomical link for translation of central neural processing into the chemical signals that can influence the immune system cells [9,6]. Anatomical studies discovered the presence of autonomic nerve components in perivascular localization as well as in specific compartments of primary and secondary lymphopoietic organs [1,7,10]. While the species-specific differences in noradrenergic innervation of mammalian spleens are well documented [1,3,7,14], little attention has been paid to study of their cholinergic innervation [2,13]. There is an assumption that acetylcholin (ACh) may participate in regulation of the splenic functions alone or together with other neurotransmitters

Methods

Results

Conclusion