[Innervation of the nasal mucosa of the guinea pig]

The autonomic and the peptidergic nerve fibers which control the blood flow and gland secretion in the nasal mucosa of the guinea pig were studied using histochemical and immunohistochemical techniques. There was a dense distribution of adrenergic nerve fibers (Adn) around the blood vessels, especially the vein, but a very sparse distribution in the glandular tissue. There was a dense distribution of cholinergic nerve fibers (Chn) both around the blood vessels and in the glandular tissue. The distribution of fibers containing vasoactive intestinal polypeptide (VIP) was dense in the glandular tissue but sparse around blood vessels and very sparse in the subepithelial layer. Fibers containing calcitonin gene-related peptide (CGRP) were densely distributed around blood vessels, glandular tissue and the subepithelial layer. A moderate number of CGRP containing fibers were observed in the intraepithelial layer. Fibers containing substance P (SP) and neurokinin A (NKA) were sparsely distributed around blood vessels, glandular tissue and the subepithelial layer. Radioimmunoassay for NKA and SP in the nasal mucosa revealed a greater content both of NKA and SP in the nasal concha than in the nasal septum. There was a greater content of NKA than SP in both the nasal septum and the nasal concha, with a higher SP/NKA ratio in the nasal concha than in the nasal septum.