Studies of Normal and Wobbler Mutant Carotid Bodies

Abstract

Biscoe et al. (2) reported that after Sect, of the glossopharyngeal nerve central to its sensory ganglion the nerve endings on type I cells of the carotid body degenerated with a long time course. At a time when most of these nerve endings has disappeared, it was still possible to record a normal chemoreceptor discharge. These experiments have been the object of criticism. Here we want to show that in the mutant mouse wobbler, it is possible to record a normal chemoreflex when subsequent electron-microscopy shows the carotid body type I cells are effectively devoid of normal vesicle-containing nerve endings.