Superior cervical ganglia

The rate of melatonin synthesis is controlled primarily by the release of noradrenaline from sympathetic fibres originating in the superior cervical ganglion. The activity of these neurons and, consequently, the synthesis and release of melatonin, follows a circadian rhythm such that sympathetic input and melatonin synthesis are both increased in the dark. This coupling with the light cycle certainly involves the SCN since destruction of this nucleus greatly reduces the fluctuations in melatonin production. Moreover, retrograde transneural tracing has shown that there is a neuronal pathway... 

Figure 22.3 Possible links in the induction of circadian rhythm between daylight, the suprachiasmatic nucleus and melatonin release from the pineal gland. Some fibres in the optic nerve, projecting from the eye to the lateral geniculate nucleus (LGN) in the thalamus, innervate the suprachiasmatic nucleus (SCN) in the anterior hypothalamus, via the retinohypothalamic tract (RHT). Others project to the SCN from the LGN in the geniculohypothalamic tract (GHT). The release of melatonin into the circulation from the pineal gland (PG) is maximal at night and appears to be controlled partly by noradrenaline released from sympathetic nerves originating in the superior cervical ganglion (SCG). Melatonin receptors are found in the SCN, the removal of which dampens melatonin secretion...

Matus AI. Ultrastructure of the superior cervical ganglion fixed with zinc iodide and osmium tetroxide. Brain Res 1970 17 195-203. 

Hirsutine. Hirsutine (58) shows ganglion-blocking activity in cat superior cervical ganglion preparation (331), and it has a long-lasting depressive effect (332). Hirsutine also inhibits the ganglionic transmission of the dog urinary bladder (353, 334). 

Rajapurkar and Koelle reported that intravenous V at 40 mg/kg, but not at 4 mg/kg, induced reactivation of cholinesterase in the surfaces of cells of the cat s superior cervical ganglion after the animal had been given DFP at 3.7 mg/kg 20 min earlier there was no significant reactivation of the cholinesterase in the ganglion as a whole (after homogenization). These findings suggest that, even when an oxime is able to make contact with the surfaces of nerve cells, it is not able to penetrate into the neurons this is similar to the situation for muscle cells described by Flelsher.94. 

Rosenzweig DH, Nair KS, Wei J et al (2007) Subunit dissociation and diffusion determine the subcellular localization of rod and cone transducins. J Neurosci 27 5484-94 Ruiz-Velasco V, Ikeda SR (2000) Multiple G-protein betagamma combinations produce voltage-dependent inhibition of N-type calcium channels in rat superior cervical ganglion neurons. J Neurosci 20 2183-91... 

Stephens GJ, Mochida S (2005) G protein beta gamma subunits mediate presynaptic inhibition of transmitter release from rat superior cervical ganglion neurones in culture. J Physiol 563 765-76... 

Sympathetic preganglionic Superior cervical ganglion Cat, rabbit 2... 

Na+, are voltage-activated Na+ channels involved Ca2+, are voltage-activated Ca2+ channels involved , increase j, decrease n.d., not determined NA, noradrenaline ACh, acetylcholine SCG, superior cervical ganglion. 

Trendelenburg U (1957) The action of morphine on the superior cervical ganglion and on the nictitating membrane of the cat. Br J Pharmacol Chemother 12 79-85 Turecek R, Trussell LO (2001) Presynaptic glycine receptors enhance transmitter release at a mammalian central synapse. Nature 411 587... 

Hoyer D, Waeber C, Karpf A, Neijt H, Palacios JM. [3H]ICS 205930 labels 5-HT3 recognition sites in membranes of cat and rabbit vagus nerve and superior cervical ganglion. Naunyn-Schmiedebergs Arch Pharmacol 1989 340 396-402. 

Courtney, K. R. Lin, J. C. Guy, A. W. Chou, C. K. Micro-wave effect on rabbit superior cervical ganglion. IEEE Trans. Micrwoave Theory Tech. 1975, MTT-23, 809-813. 

Tripathi ON. 1983. Arecoline induced nicotinic and muscarinic stimulation of the superior cervical ganglion of cat. Biomed Biochim Acta 42 275-282. 

Porter JC (1986) Relationship of age, sex and reproductive status to the quantity of tyrosine hydroxylase in the median eminence and superior cervical ganglion of the rat. Endocrinology 773 1426-1432. 

Unmyelinated fibers emerge from the superior cervical ganglion and coiu se toward the cavernous sinus by... 

The preganglionic (second-order) neuron is located in the chest and neck extending from the cervical cord (C8-T2) through the stellate ganglion at the pulmonary apex to the superior cervical ganglion at the bifurcation of the internal and external carotid arteries. 

There have been reports of facial and lingual ulcers, the ulceration following repeated injection of buprenorphine into the left superior cervical ganglion for trigeminal neuralgia (6) and the use of sublingual buprenorphine (7). 

Substance P content has been shown to be present at high levels in nerves subtending inflamed organs or tissues. For example, an inflammatory cytokine, interleukin 1 8 (IL-1/3), has been found to elevate substance P content and PPT-I mRNA expression in rat superior cervical ganglion cells in culture (Jonakait et al., 1991). This eflFect has also been documented in vivo-, increased levels of PPT-I mRNA and substance P product have... 

Synapses of the autonomic nervous system are vulnerable to poisoning by botulinum neurotoxins (Dickson and Shevky, 1923). One of the most frequently used preparation is the superior cervical ganglion (Eccles and Libet, 1961 Mochida efal., 1995). 

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