The presence of vasoactive intestinal polypeptide-like immunoreactive structures projecting from the myenteric ganglion of the stomach to the celiac ganglion revealed by a double-labelling technique.

The gastrofugal vasoactive intestinal polypeptide (VIP)-like immunoreactive (VIPI) structures in the rat were examined by the combined use of immunocytochemistry and retrograde tracing. Injection of biotin-wheat germ agglutinin into the celiac ganglion labeled many neurons in the myenteric ganglion of the stomach. Simultaneous staining with antiserum against VIP showed that some of these neurons are VIPI-positive. These findings indicate that VIPI neurons in the myenteric ganglion of the rat stomach project to the celiac ganglion.