Biochemical evidence for norepinephrine stores outside the sympathetic nerves in rat carotid body

Adult rats were submitted to pharmacological or surgical sympathectomy. The chronic administration of guanethidine caused tremendous reductions in the norepinephrine stores in heart and superior cervical ganglion due to the destruction of the sympathetic nerve fibers and cell bodies. Guanethidine-sympathectomy resulted in a 70% loss of norepinephrine in the carotid body, whereas the dopamine and DOPAC contents were unaltered. The surgical sympathectomy induced by removing the superior cervical ganglion led to similar results. The present data indicate that a considerable part of norepinephrine in the rat carotid body is stored in the sympathetic nerves. In addition, a significant part of norepinephrine resides outside the sympathetic nerves, probably within the glomus cells.