An electron-microscopic study has been made of adrenergic and cholinergic nerve fibres and synapses in the pelvic ganglion of the guinea-pig at intervals of up to 60 days following section of the hypogastric and pelvic nerves. Transection of the hypogastric nerves led to degeneration of 80–90 of the cholinergic nerve profiles and synapses in the ganglion. The small number of adrenergic nerves and synapses did not change, but 30–60 days after section, this number increased 8–10 times. Transection of the pelvic nerves led to degeneration of about 15 of the cholinergic nerve terminals, but no change in adrenergic terminals. After transection of both hypogastric and pelvic nerves, only about 1 of cholinergic nerves survived, but after 30–60 days, the number of adrenergic nerves increased 8–10 times. It is concluded that following cholinergic nerve degeneration in the ganglion, adrenergic nerves, probably originating as collateral sprouts from postganglionic neurones and granule-containing cells, can replace them to so
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