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Innervation of the mammary gland. A histochemical study in the rabbit

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Synopsis

  1. (1)

    The innervation of the mammary glands of the rabbit has been examined by localizing their catecholamine and cholinesterase content histochemically.

  2. (2)

    Noradrenaline-containing fibres are abundant amongst the smooth muscle of the teat and between the media and adventitia of all arteries. This is in agreement with physiological experiments showing that the efferent nerves to both structures are sympathetic adrenergic.

  3. (3)

    No evidence was obtained that cholinergic fibres supply any part of the gland; again this is in agreement with physiological findings. It is suggested that earlier reports of finding acetylcholinesterase (AChE)-containing nerve fibres supplying vessels and teat are mistaken and have arisen from the presence of butyrylcholinesterase (BuChE) in many nerve fibres. This enzyme can be wrongly identified as AChE if the substrate used is acetylthiocholine and BuChE is not completely inhibited.

  4. (4)

    The distribution of adrenergic fibres in the teat and blood vessels closely paralleled the distribution of BuChE-containing fibres indicating that a large proportion of the latter are sympathetic. From this and other evidence it is suggested that BuChE is present in the Schwann cells enclosing all nerve fibres in rabbit tissues and that the histochemical demonstration of BuChE in this species thus constitutes a universal nerve ‘stain’.

  5. (5)

    Since mammary nerves are sparse and difficult to follow in sections, mammary tissue has been stained for BuChE in bulk and examined in whole mounts.

  6. (6)

    The majority of mammary nerves follow the arteries and arterioles closely and supply a network of fibres in the walls of these vessels. However, a few fibres leave the arterial network and come to lie near the duct walls. It is suggested that these might be the sensory fibres demonstrated, as sensing milk pressure, in electrophysiological and behavioural experiments.

  7. (7)

    No evidence was obtained of a nerve supply to the secretory cells or myoepithelial cells or for the existence of innervated sphincters at the mouths of ducts.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. A.R.C. Institute of Animal Physiology, Babraham, Cambridge

    Catherine Hebb & J. L. Linzell

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  1. Catherine Hebb
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  2. J. L. Linzell
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Hebb, C., Linzell, J.L. Innervation of the mammary gland. A histochemical study in the rabbit. Histochem J 2, 491–505 (1970). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF01003127

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF01003127

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