Abstract
The functional relationships between sympathetic nerve fibres and meningeal mast cells were studied in whole mounts of rat dura mater and pia-arachnoid membrane using formaldehyde histofluorescence technique. Mast cells displaying a yellow fluorescence indicative of their 5-hydroxytryptamine content were found in the dura mater, primarily perivascularly and in lesser amounts in the meningeal tissues proper without any apparent relationship with blood vessels. Bilateral removal of the superior cervical ganglion produced the degranulation of part of dura mater mast cells as well as a remarkable reduction of the intensity of their 5-hydroxytryptamine cytoplasmic fluorescence. On the contrary, the electrical stimulation of the superior cervical ganglion increased the intensity of cytoplasmic fluorescence of this kind of cells.
Taken together the above data seem to be strongly suggestive of a functional link between meningeal mast cells and sympathetic nerve fibres originating from superior cervical ganglion.
