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Neurotransmitters in the Carotid Body

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Arterial Chemoreceptors

Part of the book series: Advances in Experimental Medicine and Biology ((AEMB,volume 360))

Abstract

One of the most fundamental physiological stimuli is oxygen, or more appropriately the lack of oxygen, i.e., hypoxia. The discovery that the carotid bodies are the principal sensory organs for monitoring the arterial oxygen opened new perspectives in respiratory physiology. The chemoreceptor organ morphologically resembles a miniaturized brain. It is comprised of type I (also called glomus) cells that are of neural crest origin and contain neurotransmitters. Glomus cells are in functional contact with afferent nerve endings; whereas the type II (or sustentacular) cells resemble glia. Currently, it is believed that the type I cells are the initial transducers of the hypoxic stimuli. Transduction mechanism(s) may involve biochemical or biophysical processes (Acker, 1989; Biscoe & Duchen, 1990; Fidone & Gonzalez, 1986). Neurochemical(s), on the other hand, are essential for sensory transmission in the carotid body (Fidone & Gonzalez, 1986; Prabhakar, 1992). The general consensus is that in response to low O2 glomus cells release neurochemical(s), which act on the nearby afferent nerve ending to increase the sensory discharge (Biscoe & Duchen, 1990; Fidone & Gonzalez, 1986; Prabhakar, 1992). Glomus cells are endowed with several types of chemicals that function as transmitters or modulators else where in the nervous system. These include biogenic amines, neuropeptides and nitric oxide (NO) and carbon monoxide (CO). Some of these neurochemicals co-exist within the same glomus cell (Wang et al., 1992b), and perhaps co-released during hypoxia. In view of this, the notion that hypoxia releases a “single” neurochemical, perhaps is no longer tenable.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Medicine, Case Western Reserve University School of Medicine, Cleveland, Ohio, 44106, USA

    Nanduri R. Prabhakar

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  1. Nanduri R. Prabhakar
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Editors and Affiliations

  1. University College Dublin, Dublin, Ireland

    Ronan G. O’Regan  & Philip Nolan  & 

  2. University of Edinburgh Medical School, Edinburgh, Scotland

    Daniel S. McQueen

  3. University of Oxford, Oxford, UK

    David J. Paterson

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Prabhakar, N.R. (1994). Neurotransmitters in the Carotid Body. In: O’Regan, R.G., Nolan, P., McQueen, D.S., Paterson, D.J. (eds) Arterial Chemoreceptors. Advances in Experimental Medicine and Biology, vol 360. Springer, Boston, MA. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4615-2572-1_6

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4615-2572-1_6

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