Differences in synaptic inputs to preganglionic neurons in the dorsal and lateral band subdivisions of the cat sacral parasympathetic nucleus

In the cat, preganglionic neurons (PGNs) found in the dorsal portion of the sacral parasympathetic nucleus (dorsal band or DB cells) participate in bowel control, while those found along the lateral edge (lateral band or LB cells) influence bladder function. In order to determine whether differences in the synaptic inputs exist between these two populations, HRP was applied to the sacral ventral rootlets of cats, and the S2 cord segment was prepared for sequential light and electron microscopy. When measured with light microscope, the LB somata had greater cross-sectional areas than did the DB cells. Ultrastructurally, the LB cells had a significantly greater percentage of their membrane apposed by synaptic active sites than did the DB cells. Also, the proximal dendrities of the labelled neurons received greater synaptic input than did the somata. No difference was found in the proportion of terminals containing dense cored vesicles (DCVs) when comparing LB and DB somata; however, the LB proximal dendrites had a higher proportion of their surface contacted by DCV-containing terminals than did the DB dendrites. These ultrastructural results offer evidence that these two populations of preganglionic neurons differ with respect to their synaptic input as well as their peripheral targets.