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Chapter 7 - Mechanisms of Neuroeffector Transmission

from Part III - Transmission of Signals in the Peripheral Autonomic Nervous System

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  16 July 2022

Wilfrid Jänig
Affiliation:
Christian-Albrechts Universität zu Kiel, Germany
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Summary

Axons of postganglionic neurons branch many times close to their effector cells and have hundreds to thousands of varicosities, which contain transmitter(s) packed in vesicles. Excitation of the postganglionic neurons spreads over all its branches and invades all varicosities. Signal transmission from postganglionic neurons to most effector cells occurs through specific neuroeffector synapses. In the heart, acetylcholine released by parasympathetic cardiomotor axons reacts with junctional muscarinic receptors that are coupled via a intracellular second-messenger pathway to the cellular effectors. Arterioles and small arteries are influenced by neural release of noradrenaline and ATP from the varicosities of the vasoconstrictor axons. The ATP reacts with junctional purinoceptors and opens ligand-gated cation channels, which cause activation of voltage-sensitive calcium channels and resultant action potentials. Noradrenaline released from the postganglionic vasoconstrictor terminals reacts with junctionally and extrajunctionally located a-adrenoceptors leading to slow depolarization in some blood vessels. The influence exerted by autonomic neurons on their effector tissues may be modulated by local and remote non-neural signals. The mechanisms of neuroeffector transmission in different autonomic targets are diverse. As no exceptions have yet been found, it is not far-fetched to assume that neuroeffector transmission is specific for all target cells innervated by postganglionic neurons.

Type
Chapter
Information
The Integrative Action of the Autonomic Nervous System
Neurobiology of Homeostasis
, pp. 200 - 226
Publisher: Cambridge University Press
Print publication year: 2022

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References

Suggested Reading

Brock, J. A. and Cunnane, T. C. (1988) Electrical activity at the sympathetic neuroeffector junction in the guinea-pig vas deferens. J Physiol 399, 607632.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Campbell, G. D., Edwards, F. R., Hirst, G. D. S., and O’Shea, J. E. (1989) Effects of vagal stimulation and applied acetylcholine on pacemaker potentials in the guinea-pig heart. J Physiol 415, 5768.Google Scholar
Green, P. G., Jänig, W., and Levine, J. D. (1997) Negative feedback neuroendocrine control of inflammatory response in the rat is dependent on the sympathetic postganglionic neuron. J Neurosci 17, 32343238.Google Scholar
Hirst, G. D. and Edwards, F. R. (1989) Sympathetic neuroeffector transmission in arteries and arterioles. Physiol Rev 69, 546604.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Jänig, W. and Green, P. G. (2014) Acute inflammation in the joint: its control by the sympathetic nervous system and by neuroendocrine systems. Auton Neurosci 182, 4254.Google Scholar
Jänig, W. and McLachlan, E. M. (2013) Neurobiology of the autonomic nervous system. In Autonomic Failure, 5th edn (Mathias, C. J. and Bannister, R., eds) pp. 2134, Oxford University Press, New York, Oxford.Google Scholar
Miao, F. J.-P., Jänig, W. and Levine, J. D. (1996b) Role of sympathetic postganglionic neurons in synovial plasma extravasation induced by bradykinin. J Neurophysiol 75, 715724.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed

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