Monoaminergic and Peptidergic Innervation of the Intermedio‐Lateral Horn of the Spinal Cord: II. Relationship to preganglionic sympathetic neurons

In the rat the monoamine and neuropeptide innervation of the sympathetic visceral nuclei has been analysed using retrograde tracing and single and double immunolabelling procedures. When combined with tyrosine hydroxylase (TH), 5‐hydroxytryptamine (5‐HT) and enkephalin (ENK) immunocytochemistry, somata and dendrites of many preganglionic sympathetic neurons projecting to the coeliac ganglion visualized by retrograde tracing are found in close association with strands and plexa of strongly TH, 5‐HT or ENK immunoreactive (IR) nerve terminals, while others have only a minor association with strong TH, 5‐HT and ENK immunoreactivities, suggesting that a differential control of preganglionic sympathetic neurons is possible. Experiments with double immunolabelling procedures give further support to a direct innervation of preganglionic sympathetic neurons by TH, 5‐HT and ENK IR nerve terminals. In conclusion, the present results open up the possibility for differential regulation of the preganglionic sympathetic neurons according to the Sherringtonian concept of spatial occlusion and facilitation in a pool of motoneurons.