Functional reinnervation of carotid artery by implanted preganglionic trunk in the cat.

The preganglionic trunk of the superior cervical ganglion was implanted chronically into the carotid artery. A helical strip of the carotid artery with nerve was prepared, and electrical stimulation of the nerve caused a definite contraction. Part of the contraction was attenuated by phentolamine, and the remaining part of the contraction was nearly abolished by tubocurarine but not by hexamethonium and atropine. The present results clearly demonstrate that the carotid artery is reinnervated by preganglionic cholinergic fibers.