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The distribution of substance P-, CGRP-, galanin-and ANP-like immunoreactive nerves in human sweat glands

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Summary

The distribution in immunoreactivities towards atrial natriuretic peptide, calcitonin gene-related peptide, galanin and substance P were demonstrated in human skin at the light and electron microscopic levels. Nerves immunoreactive to the first three of these peptides were found around eccrine sweat glands, whereas only a few positively-labelled nerve fibres could be seen around apocrine glands. At the ultrastructural level, immunoreactivity to the neuropeptides was localized in the large dense-cored vesicles of the nerve terminals. No immunoreactivity to substance P could be detected around sweat glands. In addition to these findings, the four types of immunoreactivity were seen in the thick preterminal nerve bundles.

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Tainio, H., Vaalasti, A. & Rechardt, L. The distribution of substance P-, CGRP-, galanin-and ANP-like immunoreactive nerves in human sweat glands. Histochem J 19, 375–380 (1987). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF01680455

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