Innervation of the mucosa of rabbit maxillary sinus. II. Demonstration of catecholamine fluorescence and acetylcholinesterase activity.

The innervation of the rabbit maxillary sinus mucosa has been studied with histochemical techniques, using the glyoxylic acid-induced fluorescence for the demonstration of catecholamines and the acetylcholinesterase method. A dense acetylcholinesterase-positive nerve plexus can be demonstrated around the secretory end-pieces, the efferent ducts, the blood vessels in the lamina propria, and rarely but regularly in the ciliated epithelium. A doubtless identification of these nerve fibres to be cholinergic does not seem possible. The adrenergic innervation is lacking within the epithelium, but can be seen near the muscle layers around blood vessels and in the lamina propria. An additional sympathetic control of the glandular activity is not excluded.