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Nerve—Muscle Preparations of the Nictitating Membrane

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Book cover Smooth Muscle

Abstract

The nictitating membrane of the cat has been used extensively in pharmacological studies because of the ease with which its movements can be recorded, because of the simplicity of its innervation (the purely adrenergic fibers have their cell bodies in the easily accessible superior cervical ganglion of the same side), because its blood supply (via the external carotid artery) is accessible for intraarterial injections, and because it is a paired organ. In in vivostudies, it has been used as an indicator for the activity of the superior cervical ganglion and/or the adrenal medulla as well as a very useful smooth muscle preparation. For some types of study it is an advantage that the sensitivity of the smooth muscle is rather selective: it is high for sympathomimetic amines and acetylcholine, but low for histamine, 5-hydroxytryptamine, bradykinin, and angiotensin. More recently, the isolated preparation has been developed, the dissection of which requires considerable skill.

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Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology, University of Würzburg, Würzburg, Germany

    U. Trendelenburg & G. Haeusler

  2. Department of Experimental Medicine, F. Hoffmann-La Roche & Co. Ltd., Basel, Switzerland

    U. Trendelenburg & G. Haeusler

Authors
  1. U. Trendelenburg
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  2. G. Haeusler
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Editor information

Editors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Pharmacology, The University of Alberta, Edmonton, Canada

    Edwin E. Daniel  & David M. Paton  & 

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© 1975 Plenum Press, New York

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Trendelenburg, U., Haeusler, G. (1975). Nerve—Muscle Preparations of the Nictitating Membrane. In: Daniel, E.E., Paton, D.M. (eds) Smooth Muscle. Springer, Boston, MA. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4684-2751-6_26

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4684-2751-6_26

  • Publisher Name: Springer, Boston, MA

  • Print ISBN: 978-1-4684-2753-0

  • Online ISBN: 978-1-4684-2751-6

  • eBook Packages: Springer Book Archive

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