[Trophic function of vascular nerves].

Ultrastructural study of the rabbit central ear artery in different periods after unilateral sympathectomy (from 2 days to 9 months) revealed that the sympathetic denervation led to obvious destructive changes in cells of all layers of the vascular wall. The earliest degenerative changes occurred in the endothelial cells, then--in the muscular sheath. The changes involve alterations of mitochondria in the endop0lasimic reticulum, destruction of contractile apparatus in the myocytes, and complete disintegration of some smooth muscle cells. After regeneration of the sympathetic nerves, a gradual restitution of the structure of vascular wall's elements occurs.