Bjurholm A, Kreicbergs A, Terenius L, Goldstein M, Schultzberg M
Department of Orthopaedic Surgery, Karolinska Hospital, Stockholm, Sweden.
J Auton Nerv Syst. 1988 Dec;25(2-3):119-25. doi: 10.1016/0165-1838(88)90016-1.
Nerve fibres immunoreactive to neuropeptide Y (NPY), tyrosine hydroxylase (TH) and vasoactive intestinal polypeptide (VIP) were demonstrated in rat bone and adjacent tissues. The distribution of NPY- and TH-positive fibres differed from that of VIP-positive fibres. NPY- and TH-immunoreactive fibres were almost exclusively found close to or within the blood vessel walls, mostly in the vicinity of the epiphyseal plate, but also in the Volkmann canals. VIP-positive fibres were predominantly present in the epiphysis and periosteum and only occasionally around blood vessels. This study demonstrates that bone and surrounding tissues have a supply of both noradrenergic and peptide-containing nerves. The differential distribution of these nerves may reflect specific roles in the local regulation of bone physiology, such as blood flow, bone formation or resorption.
