To clarify the origin of efferent nerves containing renal plexus, the retrograde neuronal tracing was utilized with a new exact closed injection system with microcapsules. The microcapsule was positioned in the rat left renal plexus, and the capsule was filled with fluoro-gold. Retrograde labeled cells were observed in the ipsilateral sympathetic trunk, especially T12 and T13, and the ipsilater...

1. Experiments were carried out to investigate whether the activation of renal chemoceptive receptors by natural stimuli might induce reflex alterations of efferent postganglionic activity to the ipsilateral kidney and preganglionic activity to the ipsilateral adrenal. 2. In anaesthetized rats with intact nervous system back-flow of urine and occlusion of the renal artery were accompanied by in...

Cochlear outer hair cells (OHCs) express alpha9 nACh receptors and are contacted by descending, predominately cholinergic, efferent fibers originating in the CNS. Mice carrying a null mutation for the nACh alpha9 gene were produced to investigate its role(s) in auditory processing and development of hair cell innervation. In alpha9 knockout mice, most OHCs were innervated by one large terminal ...

1. Centrifugal control of many sensory systems is well established, notably in the gamma motorneuron of skeletal muscle stretch receptors. 2. Efferent (olivocochlear) innervation of the mammalian cochlea was first established through anatomical studies. Histological studies confirmed synaptic terminals in contact with hair cells and afferent dendrites. 3. Electrophysiology has elucidated the ce...

We have established transgenic mice over-expressing the EphB4 receptor tyrosine kinase in the kidney. The EphB4 protein was localised to the developing tubular system of both control and transgenic newborn mice. In transgenic adults, transgene expression persisted in the proximal tubules and the Bowman's capsules, structures, which were not stained in control kidneys. The glomeruli of control a...

Efferent vagal impulses act on the exocrine pancreas via pancreatic ganglia, where the impulses are modulated and modified, and terminate via postganglionic fibers at the acinar cells. Acinar muscarinic receptors of the subtype M1 play an important role for the mediation of the stimulatory vagal influences on pancreatic exocrine secretion. In dogs, a potentiative interaction exists between the ...

BACKGROUND The frontal lobe control of movement in mammals has been thought to be a specific function primarily related to the layered neocortex with its efferent connections. In contrast, we now show that the same basic organization is present even in one of the phylogenetically oldest vertebrates, the lamprey. RESULTS Stimulation of specific sites in the pallium/cortex evokes eye, trunk, lo...

The activation of the efferent vestibular systemmodifies the basal discharge and the dynamic response of primary-afferent neurons to headmotion and gravitational stimuli. The efferent input to afferent neurons is mediated primarily by cholinergic synapses that activate both muscarinic and nicotinic receptors. Previously we had shown that themuscarinic-acetylcholine-receptor (mAChR) activationmo...

A core structural and functional motif of the vertebrate central nervous system is discrete clusters of neurons or 'nuclei'. Yet the developmental mechanisms underlying this fundamental mode of organisation are largely unknown. We have previously shown that the assembly of motor neurons into nuclei depends on cadherin-mediated adhesion. Here, we demonstrate that the emergence of mature topograp...

There are two types of sensory cells in the mammalian cochlea, inner hair cells, which make synaptic contact with auditory-nerve afferent fibers, and outer hair cells that are innervated by crossed and uncrossed medial olivocochlear (MOC) efferent fibers. Contralateral acoustic stimulation activates the uncrossed efferent MOC fibers reducing cochlear neural responses, thus modifying the input t...