Histochemical studies on the postnatal development of autonomic nerves in mice cerebral arteries.

Postnatal development of autonomic nerves of major cerebral arteries was histochemically studied in mice from one day to five months of age. For demonstration of aminergic nerves the glyoxylic acid method was used, while for cholinergic nerves Karnovsky and Roots' technique was utilized consecutively on the same whole mount preparations. The results obtained were as follows: 1) In one-day-old mice a few aminergic nerves were seen while cholinergic nerves were scarcely observed. The cholinergic nerves were clearly observed in one-week-old mice. Then, both nerves increased rapidly in the first 2 weeks with a slight delay of maturation in the latter. They completed development between 3 and 4 weeks. 2) Longitudinal and circular distributional patterns were observed for the both nerves; the former pattern developed earlier than the latter.