J.Jpn. Surg. Soc.. 80(1): 12-19, 1979

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Original article

HISTOCHEMICAL STUDIES OF THE HUMAN ABDOMINAL VAGUS NERVE

Sixty-four pieces of abdominal vagal nerve were histochemically studied by Karnovsky and Falck & Hillarp methods. The specimens were obtained at the time of abdominal surgery. The following results were obtained :
1) Increased activity of true ChE was demonstrated in abdominal vagal nerves suggesting that most of its components are cholinergic nerve fibers.
2) By fluorescence analysis four out of 46 vagal nerves from gastric cancer patients showed strong noradrenalin fluorescence and five showed weak noradrenalin fluorescence.
3) In case of gastric cancer, positive noradrenalin fluorescence was demonstrated at the nerve fibers proximal to the site of cancer infiltration.
4) All the vagal nerves obtained from the patients with benign lesions did not demonstrate positive noradrenalin fluorescence.
5) Other fluorescent-positive substances were demonstrated, though the exact nature could not be identified. The presence of biogenic amines other than noradrenaline was suggested.

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