Reinnervation of striated muscle by peripheral vagal fibres cut above or below the nodose ganglion in the cat and rabbit.

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Abstract
In cats and rabbits, the peripheral stump of the vagus nerve cut above the nodose ganglion (supranodose anastomoses: sn) or below this ganglion (infranodose anastomoses: in) was either sutured with epineurial sutures to the peripheral stump of the branch of the spinal accessory motor nerve innervating the sternocleidomastoid (scm) muscle or directly implanted in this muscle after resection of its motor nerve. After .apprx. 6 mo., reinnervation of this muscle by vagal fibers was studied. By electromyographic recording during electrical stimulation of the cervical vagus nerve, it was shown that the vagal reinnvervation of the scm muscle was established in 65% of the cats studied (57% sn, 69% in) and 33% of rabbits (37% sn and 31% in). The average number of distinct potentials recorded in the reinnervated muscle, following vagal stimulation, was 22 in sn cats, 13 in in cats, 11 in sn rabbits and 12 in in rabbits. Recorded potentials were monophasic (8%), biphasic (22.5%), triphasic (11.5%) or polyphasic (58%). These potentials were abolished by curare and .alpha.-bungarotoxin. The use of retrograde axonal transport of horseradish peroxidase showed labeled cells in the nodose ganglion, the cervical vagus and cranial thoracic vagus and in the stellate ganglia. Cholinergic vagal afferents reinnervated the scm muscle. Involvement of the sympathetic system is discussed.