Table Of ContentZoophysiology Volume 13
Coordinating Editor: D. S. Farner
Editors:
D. S. Farner B. Heinrich K. Johansen
H. Langer G. Neuweiler D.l. Randall
Stefan Nilsson
Autonomic
Nerve Function
in the Vertebrates
With 83 Figures
Springer-Verlag
Berlin Heidelberg New York 1983
Dr. STEFAN NILSSON
Department of Zoo physiology
Goteborg University
S-400 31 Goteborg, Sweden
The cover picture symbolizes an autonomic neuron with an
abundance of varicose nerve terminals.
ISBN-13:978-3-642-81976-6 e-ISBN-13:978-3-642-81974-2
DOT: 10.1007/978-3-642-81974-2
Library of Congress Cataloging in Publication Data. Nilsson, Stefan, 1946-. Autonomic
nerve function in the vertebrates. (Zoophysiology; v. 13). Includes bibliographical
references. 1. Nervous system, Autonomic. 2. Nervous system - Vertebrates. I. Title. II.
Series. (DNLM: 1. Autonomic nervous system - Physiology. 3. Vertebrates - Physiology.
WI Z0615M v. 13). QP368.N54. 1983. 596'0188 82-19659.
This work is subject to copyright. All rights are reserved, whether the whole or part of the
material is concerned, specifically those of translation, reprinting, re-use of illustrations,
broadcasting, reproduction by photocopying machine or similar means, and storage in data
banks. Under § 54 of the German Copyright Law where copies are made for other than
private use, a fee is payable to "Verwertungsgesellschaft Wort", Munich.
© by Springer-Verlag Berlin Heidelberg 1983
Softcover reprint of the bardcover 1st edition 1983
The use of registered names, trademarks, etc. in this publication does not imply, even in the
absence of a specific statement, that such names are exempt from the relevant protective laws
and regulations and therefore free for general use.
2131/3130-543210
This book is dedicated to
Susanne and Jenny
Preface
The intention of this book is to offer a comprehensive description
and discussion of autonomic nerve function in the vertebrates
from several points of view. Sections on anatomy, biochemistry
of the transmitter substances and the structure, physiology and
pharmacology of the different types of autonomic neurons
have been included, together with chapters dealing with the
autonomic nervous control of some organs and organ systems
in the different vertebrate groups. Although knowledge in
several of these areas is based primarily on studies of mammals, a
certain emphasis has been placed on the autonomic nerve
functions in the non-mammalian vertebrates to describe, from a
comparative physiological point of view, the adaptations and
possible "phylogenetic trends" in the development of the
autonomic nerve functions in the vertebrates.
It is very obvious that the literature created by the vigorous
research activities within the fields of autonomic nervous
anatomy, histochemistry, biochemistry, pharmacology and
physiology is vast indeed, and not all aspects of the subject may
have received fair treatment in the present volume. With an
analogy from astronomy, it is hoped that the mass compressed
into this book has reached the level of an energy-emitting
neutron star, rather than the black hole which would be the
result of compressing too large a mass.
In the preparation of this book I have had excellent assis
tance from a number of people. I am particularly indebted to
Barbro Egner, Aino Falck-Wahlstrom, Susanne Holmgren,
Inger Holmqvist, Carin Smederod, Lena Utter and Birgitta
Vallander for help with figures, photographic work and prepara
tion of the reference list. Bits and pieces of the manuscript have
been read by Ragnar Fange, Ian Gibbins, Matts Henning and
Judy Morris, to whom I am very grateful for suggestions. My
very special thanks go to David Grove, Susanne Holmgren
and Robert Santer for reading the entire manuscript and
giving numerous essential comments and suggestions, and to the
editor responsible for this volume, Professor Kjell Johansen,
Viking and Physiologist, who not only talked me into writing
this book, but also provided many critical suggestions, much
encouragement and sound advice to help get it written. Several
linguistic and other comments from Professor Donald S. Farner,
coordinating editor of the series, are gratefully appreciated.
VII
My thanks also to the publishers and authors who allowed
me to use their published (or sometimes unpublished) material,
and finally to the staff of the Bio-Medical Library in Goteborg
for always doing their very best to help.
Goteborg, January 1983 STEFAN NILSSON
VIII
Contents
Chapter 1
Introduction
1.1 The Comparative Approach . . . . . . . . .. 2
1.2 The Vertebrate Pedigree. . . . . . . . . . .. 4
1.3 Useful Reviews on the Autonomic Nervous System 5
Chapter 2
Anatomy of the Vertebrate Autonomic Nervous Systems 6
2.1 Mammals . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .. 7
2.1.1 The Mammalian Spinal Autonomic System . 8
2.1.2 The Mammalian Cranial Autonomic System 13
2.1.3 The Mammalian Enteric Nervous System. 14
2.2 Cyclostomes. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .. 15
2.2.1 The Cyclostome Spinal Autonomic System. 16
2.2.2 The Cyclostome Cranial Autonomic System. 16
2.2.3 The Cyclostome Enteric Nervous System .. 17
2.3 Elasmobranchs. . . . . . . . . . . . . . .. 17
2.3.1 The Elasmobranch Spinal Autonomic System. 17
2.3.2 The Elasmobranch Cranial Autonomic System. 19
2.3.3 The Elasmobranch Enteric Nervous System. 19
2.4 Teleosts. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 20
2.4.1 The Teleost Spinal Autonomic System . 20
2.4.2 The Teleost Cranial Autonomic System 22
2.4.3 The Teleost Enteric Nervous System . 22
2.5 Dipnoans . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 23
2.6 Amphibians. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 23
2.6.1 The Amphibian Spinal Autonomic System 23
2.6.2 The Amphibian Cranial Autonomic System. 26
2.6.3 The Amphibian Enteric Nervous System 26
2.7 Reptiles. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 26
2.7.1 The Reptilian Spinal Autonomic System . 26
2.7.2 The Reptilian Cranial Autonomic System. 28
2.7.3 The Reptilian Enteric Nervous System 30
2.8 Birds . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 30
2.8.1 The Avian Spinal Autonomic System 30
IX
2.8.2 The Avian Cranial Autonomic System 34
2.8.3 The Avian Enteric Nervous System 34
2.9 Conclusions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 36
Chapter 3
Neurotransmission 41
3.1 Transmitter Substances 42
3.2 The Autonomic Neuron. 43
3.2.1 General Arrangement . 43
3.2.2 Release of Transmitter 45
3.2.3 Axonal Transport 46
3.2.4 Presynaptic Receptor Systems
(Auto-Receptors) . 47
3.2.5 Neurons with More Than One Transmitter 48
3.2.6 Adrenergic Neurons 49
3.2.6.1 Synthesis of Catecholamines . 49
3.2.6.2 Neuronal Uptake of Catecholamines . 53
3.2.6.3 Metabolic Degradation of
Catecholamines 54
3.2.6.4 Histochemical Demonstration of
Adrenergic Neurons 56
3.2.7 Cholinergic Neurons 57
3.2.7.1 Histochemical Demonstration of
Cholinergic Neurons . 59
3.2.8 Purinergic Neurons. 59
3.2.8.1 Histochemical Demonstration of
Purinergic Neurons 62
3.2.9 Serotonergic Neurons 62
3.2.10 Peptidergic Neurons 64
3.3 Conclusions 66
Chapter 4
Receptors for Transmitter Substances 68
4.1 Drug-Receptor Interaction . . . . . 68
4.1.1 Specificity and Selectivity . . . 68
4.1.2 The "Dose-Response" Concept. 69
4.1.3 The Theoretical Model for Drug-Receptor
Interaction . . . . . . . . . . . . 70
4.1.4 Receptor Reserve. . . . . . . . . . 73
4.1.5 Affinity and Relative Intrinsic Activity 74
4.1.6 Competitive Antagonism 74
4.1.7 Non-Competitive Antagonism 75
4.1.8 Functional Interaction 76
x
4.1.9 Radio-Ligand Binding Studies . . . . .. 77
4.1.10 Stimulus-Effect Coupling . . . . . . .. 77
4.2 Classification of Receptors for Neurotransmitters. 79
4.2.1 Adrenoceptors. . . . . . . . . . . .. 79
4.2.1.1 Subdivision of and p-Adrenoceptors . 81
(X-
4.2.1.2 The Adrenoceptor Interconversion
Hypothesis 82
4.2.2 Cholinoceptors. . . . . . . . . . 83
4.2.3 Purinoceptors . . . . . . . . . . 83
4.2.4 Receptors for 5-Hydroxytryptamine
(Serotonergic Receptors)· . . . . . 84
Chapter 5
Chemical Tools 85
5.1 Drugs That Affect Ion Permeability of Cell Membranes 86
5.2 Drugs That Affect Adrenergic Transmission 86
5.2.1 Synthesis. . . . . . . . 86
5.2.2 Storage . . . . . . . . 88
5.2.3 Chemical Sympathectomy 88
5.2.4 Release . . . . 89
5.2.5 Neuronal Uptake . . . 90
5.2.6 Degradation . . . . . 90
5.2.7 Adrenoceptor Agonists . 91
5.2.8 Adrenoceptor Antagonists 91
5.3 Drugs That Affect Cholinergic Transmission. 92
5.3.1 Release and Neuronal Uptake 93
5.3.2 Degradation . . . . . . 94
5.3.3 Cholinoceptor Agonists . . . 94
5.3.4 Cholinoceptor Antagonists . . 96
5.4 Drugs That Affect Purinergic Transmission 97
5.4.1 Uptake and Degradation. . . . . . 97
5.4.2 Purinoceptor Agonists and Antagonists 97
5.5 Drugs That Affect Serotonergic Transmission 98
5.5.1 Uptake and Storage . . . . . . . . . 98
5.5.2 5-HT Receptor Agonists and Antagonists. 98
5.6 Drugs That Affect Peptidergic Transmission 99
Chapter 6
Chromaffin Tissue 100
6.1 Histochemical Demonstration of Chromaffin Cells. 102
6.2 Chromaffin Tissue in Mammals . . . 103
6.2.1 Adrenal Medulla. . . . . . . 103
6.2.2 Extra-Adrenal Chromaffin Cells 104
6.3 Chromaffin Tissue in Cyclostomes. . 105
XI
6.4 Chromaffin Tissue in Elasmobranchs . 106
6.5 Chromaffin Tissue in Teleosts . 107
6.6 Chromaffin Tissue in Ganoids. . 108
6.7 Chromaffin Tissue in Dipnoans . 109
6.8 Chromaffin Tissue in Amphibians 109
6.9 Chromaffin Tissue in Reptiles . 110
6.10 Chromaffin Tissue in Birds 110
6.11 Conclusions. 110
Chapter 7
The Circulatory System 112
7.1 Cyclostomes . . 115
7.1.1 The Cyclostome Heart 115
7.1.2 The Cyclostome Vasculature . 116
7.2 Elasmobranchs . . . . . . . . . 117
7.2.1 The Elasmobranch Heart .. 117
7.2.2 The Elasmobranch Branchial Vasculature 118
7.2.3 The Elasmobranch Systemic Vasculature. 118
7.3 Teleosts . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 119
7.3.1 The Teleost Heart . . . . . . . 119
7.3.2 The Teleost Branchial Vasculature 120
7.3.3 The Teleost Systemic Vasculature. 122
7.4 Ganoids . . 124
7.5 Dipnoans. . . . . . . . . 125
7.6 Amphibians. . . . . . . . 126
7.6.1 The Amphibian Heart. 126
7.6.2 The Amphibian Pulmonary Vasculature 127
7.6.3 The Amphibian Systemic Vasculature 129
7.7 Reptiles . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 129
7.7.1 The Reptilian Heart . . . . . . . . 129
7.7.2 The Reptilian Pulmonary Vasculature. 132
7.7.3 The Reptilian Systemic Vasculature. 133
7.8 Birds . . . . . . . . . . 133
7.8.1 The Avian Heart ... 133
7.8.2 The Avian Vasculature 134
7.9 Mammals . . . . . . . . 136
7.9.1 The Mammalian Heart 137
7.9.2 The Mammalian Vasculature. 138
7.10 Conclusions. . . . . . . . . .. 139
Chapter 8
Spleen .. 141
8.1 Adrenergic Control. 142
8.2 Cholinergic Control. 144
XII
