[Topography of small, intensely fluorescing cells in rat lumbar sympathetic ganglia].

The localization of small intensely fluorescent (SIF cells on serial cryostat slices and total preparations of the L2 and L4 rat lumbar sympathetic ganglia was studied after treatment by the modified Falck method. In the ganglia, the SIF cells occur both as clusters and singly. The cells are round in shape, frequently forming processes. The clusters of the SIF cells are usually localized beneath the ganglionic capsule in the proximity to the blood vessels. Large sympathetic ganglia contain from 35 to 51 cells, whereas small ganglia 5 to 9 cells. The regions of preferable SIF cells localization in L3 and L4 ganglia were found.