Immunohistochemical Study on the Calretinin and Neuronal Nitric Oxide Synthase in the Rat Tongue.
- Author:
Dae Joong KIM
1
Author Information
1. Department of Anatomy, College of Medicine, Inha University, Inchon, Korea.
- Publication Type:Original Article
- Keywords:
Gustatory papillae;
Taste bud;
Intralingual salivary gland;
Calretinin;
nNOS
- MeSH:
Animals;
Basement Membrane;
Blood Vessels;
Calbindin 2*;
Ganglia;
Immunohistochemistry;
Nerve Fibers;
Neurons*;
Nitric Oxide Synthase Type I*;
Rats*;
Salivary Glands;
Taste Buds;
Tongue*
- From:Korean Journal of Anatomy
2000;33(1):21-28
- CountryRepublic of Korea
- Language:Korean
-
Abstract:
To examine the distribution of calretinin and neuronal nitric oxide synthase (nNOS) in tongue, immunohistochemistry was conducted to cryosections of vallate, foliate and fungiform papillae of rats.Immunohistochemistry revealed that nerve fibers around taste buds and ganglia cells contained calretinin and nNOS each. In vallate and foliate papillae, calretinin nerve fibers formed subgemmal nerve plexus under the basal lamina, and branched intragemmal nerve fibers. Under the fungiform papillae, thick calretinin nerve bundles were found. Tthese nerve fibers formed subgemmal nerve plexus under the basal lamina, and some varicose fibers were located in taste bud. Ganglia cells, 20~40 mm in diameter, formed groups under the vallate papilla and showed strong immunoreactivity for nNOS. Their nerve fibers branched into blood vessels. Ganglia cells around serous gland also contained nNOS and their nerve fibers branched into acini, ducts and blood vessels. Based on these findings, it is postulated that calretinin nerve fibers function as a somatosensory or taste sensory nerves in taste papillae. The intralingual nNOS ganglia cells may function as vasodilator and control the secretion of serous salivary glands.
