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DOI: 10.1369/jhc.3A6246.2004
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Journal of Histochemistry and Cytochemistry
Volume 52 (7): 923-930, 2004
Copyright ©The Histochemical Society, Inc.

Presence and Distribution of Cholinergic Nerves in Rat Mediastinal Brown Adipose Tissue

Antonio Giordano, Andrea Frontini, Mario Castellucci and Saverio Cinti

Institute of Normal Human Morphology, Marche Polytechnic University, Ancona, Italy

Correspondence to: Saverio Cinti, MD, Institute of Normal Human Morphology, Faculty of Medicine, Via Tronto, 10/A, 60020 Ancona, Italy. E-mail: cinti{at}mta01.univpm.it

Brown adipose tissue (BAT) is richly provided with sympathetic noradrenergic nerves but is believed to lack a parasympathetic nerve supply. Acetylcholine is the predominant transmitter of postganglionic parasympathetic nerves. The vesicular acetylcholine transporter (VAChT) resides in synaptic vesicles of cholinergic nerve terminals and is used as a marker for peripheral cholinergic nerves. We sought cholinergic nerves in rat BAT using VAChT immunohistochemistry (IHC) on cryosections of interscapular, cervical, mediastinal, and perirenal depots. Mediastinal BAT was the sole depot provided with putative parasympathetic perivascular and parenchymal cholinergic nerves. The absence of vasoactive intestinal peptide-positive nerves suggested their nature as pure cholinergic fibers. By confocal microscopy, both cholinergic and noradrenergic nerves were detected in mediastinal BAT. Cold exposure and fasting led to increased density of VAChT-positive fibers and of noradrenergic sympathetic nerves at morphometry. The unexpected double innervation of mediastinal BAT may explain the inhibitory influence on thermogenesis observed after systemic injection of muscarinic antagonists in rats, and raises questions about the physiological role of its cholinergic nerve supply. (J Histochem Cytochem 52:923–930, 2004)

Key Words: cholinergic nerves • parasympathetic system • brown adipose tissue • noradrenergic nerves • fasting • cold exposure • thermoneutrality • rat


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