Outgoing synapses of small granule-containing cells in the rat superior cervical ganglion after post-ganglionic axotomy.

Small granule-containing cells are intrinsic and interneurone-like in the rat superior cervical ganglion, being innervated by preganglionic axons and giving outgoing synapses of asymmetrical type to the principal neurones. A quantitative ultrastructural investigation has been made of the effect on these outgoing synapses of axotomy of the major post-ganglionic nerve trunks 18.5 h-390 days previously. Cutting, or cutting and ligating, the internal and external carotid nerves 2-3 mm from the ganglion in rats aged 1.5-5.5 months resulted in a statistically significant mean loss of up to 85% of the asymmetrical synapses given by small granule-containing cells in the injured ganglion. The reduction of synapses was maximal 5-9 days post-operatively, and thereafter the incidence of synapses showed significant signs of progressive recovery. The time course and magnitude of the change in incidence of these synapses resembled those found earlier (Matthews & Nelson, 1975) for the loss of preganglionic synapses to principal neurones in the same ganglia, and after an identical post-ganglionic lesion. Control experiments showed that there was no loss of outgoing synapses from the small granule-containing cells as a result of surgical stress or of simple ageing. Older rats (5.5 and 13 months) showed a small but significant increase in the incidence of these synapses. Unilateral post-ganglionic axotomy produced the same reaction in the injured ganglia as did bilateral lesions. Uninjured ganglia contralateral to unilateral axotomies, however, also showed some deficit of outgoing synapses from small granule-containing cells, but this was slight, amounting to 9.9% over-all in comparison to normal values in young rats, and this difference did not reach statistical significance. Cutting the cervical sympathetic trunk to produce preganglionic denervation 2 days before surgical removal of ganglia for analysis did not alter the incidence of outgoing synapses of the small granule-containing cells, either in ganglia post-ganglionically axotomized 5-128 days earlier or in contralateral ganglia, indicating that at no stage was any significant proportion of these synapses given to preganglionic axons. These findings suggest that most of the outgoing synapses from the intra-ganglionic small granule-containing cells are directed to principal neurones whose axons leave with the injured branches, the internal and external carotid nerves.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 400 WORDS)