[Light optical and electron microscopic study of the nodose ganglion neurons in emotional stress]

Cell bodies of cardiovascular receptors localized in the ganglion nodosum of rabbits exposed to experimental emotional stress were studied with the light and electron microscope. Two groups of animals were selected for investigation. Under emotional stress rabbits of one group demonstrated almost unchanged arterial pressure and only a small increase in heart rate, while animals of the other group displayed strongly marked disturbances of their blood circulation leading to the lethal outcome at the end of experiment. In the first group rabbits, the microscopic anatomy and ultrastructure of the nodose ganglion neurons indicated an increased activity in the nerve cell. At the same time, morphological evidences of exhaustion were revealed in neurons of the nodose ganglion of the second group rabbits. A possible role of the distortion of the afferent information in pathogenesis of cardiovascular disorders under emotional stress is discussed.