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Abstract
Enkephalinergic innervation of the rat salivary glands was investigated by immunocytochemical
techniques. Based upon immunostaining for enkephalin (ENK) and tyrosine hydroxylase
(TH), 4 types of neurons could be distinguished in the submandibular ganglion: cells
containing both ENK and TH (9% of all ganglion cells), cells containing only ENK (17%),
cells containing only TH (4%) and cells lacking both ENK and TH (70%). Almost all
of the ganglion neurons were also positive for AChE and so were most of the TH-positive
cells. The ENK-positive fibers outnumbered the TH-positive fibers. Although TH-positive
fibers displayed concurrent ENK immunoreactivity, fibers in the blood vessel walls
were only immunoreactive for TH. Excision of the superior cervical ganglion resulted
in a decrease of ENK fibers and the disappearance of most of the TH fibers from the
submandibular gland. Most of the remaining ENK-positive fibers were immunonegative
for TH, while the remaining TH-positive fibers were also positive for ENK. The salivary
gland of the postnatal 8-week-old rats had a considerable number of ENK-positive neurons
and fibers in the submandibular ganglion and acini.