[Synaptoarchitectonics of the ganglia of the celiac plexus in white rats]

In 50 intact white rats at the age of 6, 15, 23 and 30 months synapsoarchitectonics of the celiac plexus nodes was studied by an electron microscopy method. Peculiarities in synapsoarchitectonics are stipulated by pericaryon processes in neurons, some of them have no contacts with the axonal terminals, while others have contacts with the axonal terminals. The former include small (about 0.5 mkm) drop-like and large (up to 1.5 mkm) polymorphous processes within the limits of perisomatic membrane, as well as processes penetrating the neuronal capsule. All of them contain, in different combinations, vesicles, ribosomas, fibrillae, and the largest processes--small cisterns of granular cytoplasmatic network and single mitochondria. The processes of the first group are considered as original stages for the development of the second group processes. The latter are represented by different in size (about 1.0--2.0 mkm) in form (digital, cone-, pin-, goblet-shaped, cylindrical, branching) and in content formations. There is, as a rule, one contact on the processes of an uncomplicated form, while on the branching processes there can be up to three and more contacting axonal terminals. Peculiar features in the composition of the processes taken as a whole (specific forms, absence of dendritic tubes, sometimes numerous contacts with axonal terminals in spite of small size) distinguish them from newly forming dendritic processes and these formations are considered as independent specialized receptor apparatus in the pericaryon of neurons of the celiac plexus.