ABSTRACT
This chapter focuses on the axonal transport of neurotransmitter storing organelles in pheripheral adrenergic, cholinergic, and peptidergic neurons. The main functional significance of anterograde transport of transmitter containing organelles is to supply the nerve endings with material(s) which are needed there but which cannot be manufactured locally. The functional importance of norepinephrine and acetylcholine transport is thus not to supply the terminals with the transmitter. In all neuron systems, adrenergic, cholinergic, as well as peptidergic, dealt with in previous sections, intra-axonal transport of the respective transmitters has been demonstrated to occur. Vasoactive intestinal polypeptide, substance P, somatostatin, and cholecystokinin have been assayed by RIA in segments of crush-operated or ligated nerves, as well as after applying double crushes to establish the transportable fraction of each peptide. The transportable fraction of Vasoactive intestinal polypeptide in cat sciatic was determined to 28% moving distally and 15% migrating retrogradely.
