Korean J Anat.  2000 Feb;33(1):21-28.

Immunohistochemical Study on the Calretinin and Neuronal Nitric Oxide Synthase in the Rat Tongue

• Kim DJ

Abstract

To examine the distribution of calretinin and neuronal nitric oxide synthase (nNOS) in tongue, immunohistochemistry was conducted to cryosections of vallate, foliate and fungiform papillae of rats.Immunohistochemistry revealed that nerve fibers around taste buds and ganglia cells contained calretinin and nNOS each. In vallate and foliate papillae, calretinin nerve fibers formed subgemmal nerve plexus under the basal lamina, and branched intragemmal nerve fibers. Under the fungiform papillae, thick calretinin nerve bundles were found. Tthese nerve fibers formed subgemmal nerve plexus under the basal lamina, and some varicose fibers were located in taste bud. Ganglia cells, 20~40 mm in diameter, formed groups under the vallate papilla and showed strong immunoreactivity for nNOS. Their nerve fibers branched into blood vessels. Ganglia cells around serous gland also contained nNOS and their nerve fibers branched into acini, ducts and blood vessels. Based on these findings, it is postulated that calretinin nerve fibers function as a somatosensory or taste sensory nerves in taste papillae. The intralingual nNOS ganglia cells may function as vasodilator and control the secretion of serous salivary glands.

Keyword

Gustatory papillae; Taste bud; Intralingual salivary gland; Calretinin; nNOS

MeSH Terms

Animals
Basement Membrane
Blood Vessels
Calbindin 2*
Ganglia
Immunohistochemistry
Nerve Fibers
Neurons*
Nitric Oxide Synthase Type I*
Rats*
Salivary Glands
Taste Buds
Tongue*
Nitric Oxide Synthase Type I