CHEMICAL MEDIATORS IN

THE PERIPHERAL NERVOUS

SYSTEM
LECTURE – 1 & 2

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CLASSIFICATION - NERVOUS SYSTEM

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PERIPHERAL NERVOUS SYSTEM

• Principal elements:
• autonomic nervous system (ANS), which includes the enteric
nervous system
• somatic efferent nerves, innervating skeletal muscle
• somatic and visceral afferent nerves

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 AUTONOMIC NERVOUS SYSTEM
• Anatomical divisions:
• Sympathetic NS
• Parasympathetic NS
• Enteric NS (closely interconnected
with sympathetic &
parasympathetic systems)

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 AUTONOMIC & SOMATIC NERVOUS SYSTEM
AUTONOMIC NS SOMATIC NS

• Contains ganglion • Ganglion absent

• Contains two neurons arranged in • Single motor neuron connecting
series – preganglionic & postganglionic
CNS with skeletal muscles.
neuron.
• Nerve fibres – myelinated
• Nerve fibres – preganglionic
(myelinated), postganglionic (non- • Effector transmitter – Acetyl choline
myelinated)

• Effector transmitter – Ach, NA.

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AUTONOMIC &
SOMATIC NS

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AUTONOMIC NERVOUS SYSTEM

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AUTONOMIC NERVOUS SYSTEM

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OUTLAY OF AUTONOMIC NERVOUS SYSTEM

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OUTLAY OF
AUTONOMIC
NERVOUS SYSTEM

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 TRANSMITTERS:
• Transmitters can be
• Excitatory transmitter → Depolarization (Excitatory post-synaptic
potential – EPSP) → Excitation.
• Inhibitory transmitter → Inhibition (Inhibitory post-synaptic potential
– IPSP) → Inhibition.

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TRANSMITTERS:

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 TRANSMITTERS IN THE ANS:
• The two main neurotransmitters that operate in the ANS are
acetylcholine (Ach) and noradrenaline (NA), which interact with the post-
synaptic receptor.

• General points:
• All motor nerve fibers leaving the CNS release ACh, which acts on
nicotinic receptors (N)
• All postganglionic parasympathetic fibers release ACh, which acts on
muscarinic receptors (M)

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TRANSMITTERS IN THE ANS:
• All postganglionic sympathetic fibers (with one important exception)
release NA, which may act on either α- or β- adrenoceptors.
• The exception is the sympathetic innervation of sweat glands, where
transmission is due to ACh acting on M receptors.

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 NEUROHUMORAL TRANSMISSION:
• Neurohumoral transmission implies that nerves transmit their message
across synapses and neuroeffector junctions by the release of humoral
(chemical) messengers.

• Steps:
1. Impulse conduction
2. Transmitter release
3. Transmitter action on postjunctional membrane

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NEUROHUMORAL TRANSMISSION:
4. Postjunctional activity
5. Termination of transmitter action

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 NEUROHUMORAL TRANSMISSION:
• STEP 1: IMPULSE CONDUCTION:

• The resting transmembrane potential (-70 mV) is due to high K+

permeability (K moving outside the neuron) and low Na+ permeability
(Na not entering the neuron). → as a result the cellular membrane
becomes polar (-ve inside the cell membrane & +ve outside the cell
membrane).

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NEUROHUMORAL TRANSMISSION:

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NEUROHUMORAL
TRANSMISSION:

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 NEUROHUMORAL TRANSMISSION:
• STEP 1: IMPULSE CONDUCTION:

• Stimulation or arrival of nerve impulse → sudden increase in Na+

conductance → depolarization & overshoot (+20mV inside the cell).

• Later K+ move out in the direction of their concentration gradient →

repolarization (returning to – mV inside the cell).

• During the refractory period → activation of Na+ K+ pump → normalizes

the ionic distribution.

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NEUROHUMORAL TRANSMISSION:
• STEP 2: TRANSMITTER RELEASE:

• Transmitter (excitatory or inhibitory) is stored in prejunctional nerve

endings within synaptic vessels → nerve impulses increase Ca ion
concentration in the cytoplasm → fusion of vesicular & axonal
membrane → contents are extruded (exocytosis) into the synaptic
cleft.

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NEUROHUMORAL TRANSMISSION:
• STEP 2: TRANSMITTER RELEASE:

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NEUROHUMORAL TRANSMISSION:
• STEP 3: TRANSMITTER ACTION ON POSTJUNCTIONAL MEMBRANE:

• Released transmitter → combines with specific receptor on

postjunctional membrane → depending on the nature induces
either EPSP or IPSP.

• EPSP → causes depolarization in the post-junctional neuron.

• IPSP → causes hyperpolarization in the post-junctional neuron.

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NEUROHUMORAL TRANSMISSION:
• STEP 4: POST-JUNCTIONAL ACTIVITY:

• EPSP → propagates the action potential (AP) → contraction in

muscles or secretion of glands, etc,.

• IPSP → resists depolarization.

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 NEUROHUMORAL TRANSMISSION:
• STEP 5: TERMINATION OF TRANSMITTER ACTION:

• After combination with the receptor, transmitter is

• Locally degraded – eg. ACh.
• Re-uptaken into the prejunctional neuron by active uptake or diffuses
away. – eg. NA, GABA.

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 COTRANSMISSION or COTRANSMITTER or NON-
ADRENERGIC, NON-CHOLINERGIC (NANC):
• Many peripheral & central neurons, when stimulated release more than
one active substance.

• In ANS the co-transmitters released are:

• Purines – ATP, adenosine
• Peptides – vasoactive intestinal peptide (VIP), neuropeptide-Y (NPY),
substance P, enkephalins, somatostatin.
• Nitric oxide
• Prostaglandins
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COTRANSMISSION or COTRANSMITTER:

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• NANC transmission has been demonstrated in
• Autonomic innervation of gut
• Vas deferens
• Urinary tract

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