Distribution of Acetocholinesterase in the Ganglion Cells of Various Sympathetic Ganglia

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Abstract
The purpose of the present investigation has been to find out if differences exist between the acetocholinesterase activity of different ganglia and different ganglion cells. The histochem‐ical study has been carried out with the modified thiocholine method, and control experiments of total cholinesterase activity have been performed with an electrometric technique. Three groups of ganglion cells with respect to staining intensity can be distinguished, group I heavily stained cells, group II moderately to faintly stained cells and group III unstained cells. Group I has been predominantly found in the stellate ganglion (7 %). The total number of stained cells (group I + group II) was: sup.cerv.gangl. 21.3 %, stellate gangl. 14.9 %, sup.mes. ganglion 6.8 % and coeliac gangl. 4.8 %. The electrometric method gave the following values of total acetocholinesterase activity: 71.5 × 10‐3, 51.5 × 10‐3, 29.5 × 10‐3 and 30.0 × 10‐3 μoles HAc per mg dry weight per min. The differences found between the sup.cerv.gangl. and the stellate gangl. on one hand and the abdominal ganglia on the other are highly significant. The influence of different incubation times has been studied. Different possibilities to explain these histochemical and biochemical results, suggestive of at least a dual type of ganglion cells, are discussed.