[Adrenergic innervation of the middle and internal ear in man]

Adrenergic nervous structures (ANS) in morphofunctional formations of human middle and internal ear were studied on the autopsy material obtained from 5 victims of accidents free of any ear disease. The samples were treated histochemically with glyoxylic acid. Non-varicose dilated sympathetic nerve fibers (single and in bundles, non-myelinized, intensively luminescent, twisted and direct) were detected in vertical nerve sections, in spiral and vestibular ganglia, in chorda tympani. A thick net of adrenergic nerve fibers (ANF) was noted around the labyrinthine artery. ANF were absent long along the walls of the utriculus and semicircular canals, in the modiolus vessels, spiral ligament, vascular stripe. ANF were most numerous on the osseous spiral lamina. Near the Corti's organ ANF are thicker and often varicose. On the vertical sections of m. stapedius ANF with varicose parts locate in the connective tissue perimysial layers and in the endomysium directly between the muscular cells. At the site of muscle transition into the tendon and in tendon as such no ANF were found. Two sets of ANF were noted in the middle ear mucosa: perivascular and unrelated to blood vessels.