P2X receptors are a family of ligand-gated ion channels, activated by extracellular ATP. The seven subunits cloned (P2X1–7) can assemble to form homomeric and heteromeric receptors. Peripheral neurons of neural crest origin (e.g. those in dorsal root, trigeminal, sympathetic and enteric ganglia) and placodal origin (e.g. those in nodose and petrosal ganglia) express mRNAs for multiple P2X subun...

background: most research on autonomic dysfunction of diabetes mellitus is conducted on ganglions innervating gastrointestinal (gi) tract and there are limited works focusing on cervical sympathetic ganglia. the effects of diabetes mellitus (dm) on the neurons of superior cervical sympathetic ganglion (scsg) are investigated by stereological methods.   material and methods: female rats (n=72) r...

Synapses in autonomic ganglia represent the final output of various CNS structures that regulate the function of the periphery. Normally, these excitatory cholinergic-nicotinic synapses produce large suprathreshold EPSPs on sympathetic and parasympathetic neurons to convey signals from the CNS. However, in certain disease states, synaptic transmission in autonomic ganglia is depressed and the p...