Impaired maturation of pre-synaptic cholinergic nerve terminals in the superior cervical ganglia after administration of guanethidine and dexamethasone.

The role of post-synaptic cells in the development of pre-synaptic cholinergic nerve terminals has been investigated in immature rat superior cervical ganglia (SCG) and adrenals employing chemical agents which prevent the normal maturation of post-synaptic cells. A marked atrophy of ganglion adrenergic neurons after guanethidine administration was accompanied by the complete failure of normal maturation of choline acetyltransferase (ChAc) activity in the presynaptic endings. However, the same treatment failed to alter the levels of ChAc in the mature ganglia despite the marked atrophy of adrenergic neurons. Administration of dexamethasone resulted in a growth retardation of ganglion neurons as well as adrenal chromaffin cells reflected by the lower levels of tyrosine hydroxylase and dopamine-beta-hydroxylase than those in untreated tissues. The levels of ChAc were significantly lower in the ganglia, but not in the adrenals when treatment was started immediately after birth. These results support the view that the normal synapse formation in the SCG depends on the normal maturation of adrenergic neurons, and suggest that this dependence is detectable only during a limited period of life.