Morphometric and histochemical characteristics of the cluster organization of neurons in rat spinal nerve sensory ganglia and the cervicothoracic ganglion of the sympathetic trunk

摘要

The topography of neurons in cervical spinal nerve sensory ganglia and the cervicothoracic ganglion in the sympathetic trunk were studied in adult rats (n = 12). The results showed that these organs are characterized by heterogeneity of neurons in terms of morphometric (stained with thionine by the Nissl method) and histochemical (detection of acetylcholinesterase and NADPH-diaphorase activities) properties. Common features to the organization of ganglia were seen, in terms of the cluster nature of neuron topography. Clusters formed on the heterogeneity principle and consisted of 3-4 to 9-10 neurons. A combined histochemical method used here allowed identification of the histofunctional properties of neurons within clusters in the ganglia studied, as detected using standard histological methods.