Abstract
Ultrastructural investigation of nitrix oxide synthase-immunoreactive nerves closely associated with blood vessels in rat and guinea-pig hearts revealed many labelled nerve fibres in the walls of the main branches of the coronary arteries, and in arterioles, capillaries and post-capillary venules. The number of nitric oxide synthase-containing nerve fibres associated with different vessels, even those of the same calibre, varied. Terminal regions of nitric oxide synthase-immunoreactive fibres were observed in the endocardium and myocardium. Nitric oxide synthase-labelled fibres displayed electrondense immunoproduct in both varicose and intervaricose regions. Immunoreactive axonal varicosities contained both small and large synaptic vesicles. The characteristics of the nitric oxide synthase-immunoreactive nerve fibres observed in the heart and the possibility that these fibres represent the processes of intracardiac neurones and/or sensory neurones of extrinsic origin are discussed.
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Sosunov, A.A., Hassall, C.J.S., Loesch, A. et al. Ultrastructural investigation of nitric oxide synthase-immunoreactive nerves associated with coronary blood vessels of rat and guinea-pig. Cell Tissue Res 280, 575–582 (1995). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00318361
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00318361