In the autonomic nervous system the final neurons
that innervate end organs are grouped in autonomic ganglia. Ganglionic
neurons are sites of integration of efferent and sensory synaptic signals
into a coordinated regulation of multiple end organs whose function is
often diverse. My research interests are in the properties of sympathetic
ganglia and the relationship of the characteristics of individual neurons
to the regulation of the cardiovascular and gastrointestinal systems. To
understand how the sympathetic ganglia regulate and coordinate vascular
and gastrointestinal function we are asking the following questions:
- What is
the
anatomical organization of the
sympathetic ganglia innervating the gastrointestinal tract and its blood supply?
- Do individual neurons
innervate multiple targets
or just one type of tissue?
- Do individual
neurons
innervate both arteries
and
veins?
- Does
a neuron
that innervates an
artery have properties
that
differentiate it from a neuron that innervates a vein?
- What
are the membrane electrical properties of neurons that might distinguish one functional type from another?
- What
transmitters are released from "artery
neurons" or "vein neurons"?
- What
are the events in neuromuscular transmission
in arteries and veins?
- What
are the developmental cues that neurotrophic
factors from artery or
vein provide to determine the functional properties of sympathetic neurons?
|