Cobalt iontophoresis of sensory nerves in the rat lung.

By iontophoretically introducing, first, cobalt and, subsequently, sulfide ions into the vagus nerve, it is possible to trace sensory nerves to their endings in the rat lung. Nerve fibers and terminals are found predominantly in the adventitia of the airways and blood vessels. Some nerves are found in the submucosa of the bronchi and bronchioles. Some are found in the cardiac muscle on the periphery of pulmonary veins, and a few nerves are seen to end among smooth muslces of the blood vessels and the airways. At least three types of nerve endings can be identified at the light microscopic level: (1) free nerve endings; (2) brush-like endings; (3) knob-like terminals.