Dr.

Auwais Ahmed Khan

Assistant Professor
Dow College of Pharmacy
Dow University of Health Sciences
Karachi.
“The portion of the nervous system that controls most
visceral functions of the body is called the
Autonomic Nervous System”.
 This system helps to control,
 Arterial pressure
 Gastrointestinal motility
 Gastrointestinal secretion
 Urinary bladder emptying
 Sweating
 Body temperature
 and many other activities
Organization
 The autonomic nervous system is activated mainly by,
 Centers located in the,
 Spinal cord,
 Brain stem, and
 Hypothalamus.
 Visceral reflexes.
 The efferent autonomic signals are transmitted to the
various organs of the body through two major
subdivisions called,
 the Sympathetic nervous system and
 thoracolumbar outflow
 the Parasympathetic nervous system.
 craniosacral outflow
 Physiologic Anatomy
of the Sympathetic
Nervous System
1. One of the two
paravertebral
sympathetic
chains of ganglia.

2. two prevertebral
ganglia (the celiac
and hypogastric),
and

3. nerves extending
from the ganglia
to the different
internal organs.
Sympathetic nervous system
 The Preganglionic neuron
 Cell body in the lateral column of grey matter
 Between the levels of the 1st thoracic and 2nd or 3rd
lumbar vertebrae
 Acetylcholine is the neurotransmitter

 The Postganglionic neuron

 Cell body in a ganglion and
 Terminates in the organ or tissue supplied
 Noradrenaline is usually the neurotransmitter
 Physiologic Anatomy
of the
Parasympathetic
Nervous System
 Parasympathetic
fibers leave the central
nervous system
through ,
 Cranial nerves III,
VII, IX, and X;
 Additional
parasympathetic
fibers leave the
lowermost part of
the spinal cord
through the second
and third sacral
spinal nerves.
 and occasionally
the first and
fourth sacral
nerves.
Parasympathetic nervous system
 The neurotransmitter at both synapses is acetylcholine
 The preganglionic neuron
 Cell body either in the brain or in the spinal cord
 Those originating in the brain are the cranial nerves III, VII, IX
and X, arising from nuclei in the midbrain and brain stem, and
their nerve fibres terminate outside the brain
 The cell bodies of the sacral outflow are in the lateral columns
of grey matter at the distal end of the spinal cord. Their fibres
leave the cord in sacral segments 2, 3 and 4 and synapse with
postganglionic neurones in the walls of pelvic organs
 The postganglionic neuron
 cell body either in a ganglion or in the wall of the organ
supplied
Cholinergic and Adrenergic Fibers
 All preganglionic neurons are __________in both the
sympathetic and the parasympathetic nervous systems
 All or almost all of the postganglionic neurons of the
parasympathetic system are ____________
 Most of the postganglionic sympathetic neurons are
__________
 However, the postganglionic sympathetic nerve fibers to
the sweat glands, to the piloerector muscles of the hairs,
and to a very few blood vessels are cholinergic
Secretion of Acetylcholine and Norepinephrine by
Postganglionic Nerve Endings
 An action potential spreads over
the terminal fibers
 Depolarization process increases
the permeability of the fiber
membrane to calcium ions
 As a result these ions diffuse into
the nerve terminals or nerve
varicosities
 The calcium ions in turn cause the
terminals or varicosities to empty
their contents to the exterior
 Thus, the transmitter substance is
secreted
Synthesis of Acetylcholine, Its Destruction After
Secretion, and Its Duration of Action.
 Synthesized in the terminal endings

 Stored in vesicles in highly concentrated form

 Persists in the tissue for a few seconds while it performs
 Then it is split into an acetate ion and choline,
catalyzed by the enzyme acetylcholinesterase.
 The choline that is formed is then transported back into
the terminal nerve ending, where it is used again and
again for synthesis of new acetylcholine
Synthesis of Norepinephrine, Its Removal, and
Its Duration of Action.
 Synthesis of norepinephrine begins in the axoplasm of
the terminal nerve endings
 But is completed inside the secretory vesicles

 In the adrenal medulla, this reaction goes still one step

further
 Removed from the secretory site in three ways:
 (1) Reuptake into the adrenergic nerve endings
themselves by an active transport process
 For 50-80 %.
 (2) Diffusion away from the nerve endings into the
surrounding body fluids and then into the blood.
 For most that is left.
 (3) Destruction of small amounts by tissue enzymes.
 E.g. MAO and COMT.
Receptors on the Effector Organs
 Excitation or Inhibition of the Effector Cell by
Changing Its Membrane Permeability
 Receptor Action by Altering Intracellular “Second
Messenger” Enzymes
Acetylcholine Receptors

Nicotinic Muscarinic

NN NM M1 M2 M3 M4 M5
Locations of Muscarinic Cholinoceptors:
 M1  M4
 CNS neurons, sympathetic
postganglionic neurons,  CNS neurons; possibly
some presynapticsites vagal nerve endings
 M2  M5
 Myocardium, smooth
muscle, some presynaptic  Vascular
sites; CNS neurons. endothelium,
 M3 especially cerebral
 GI and Lungs, Exocrine vessels; CNS neurons.
glands, vessels (smooth
muscle and endothelium);
CNS neurons.
Locations of Nicotinic Cholinoceptors:
 NN  NM
 Postganglionic  Skeletal muscle
neurons, some neuromuscular
presynaptic endplates
cholinergic terminals
Adrenergic Receptors

Alpha Beta

α1 α2 β1 β2 β3
Locations of Adrenoceptors
Effects of Sympathetic and Parasympathetic
Stimulation on Specific Organs
 Eyes
 (1) The pupillary opening
 Sympathetic stimulation contracts the meridional fibers of the
iris that dilate the pupil
 Parasympathetic stimulation contracts the circular muscle of the
iris to constrict the pupil
 (2) The focus of the lens
 Entirely by the parasympathetic nervous system

 Parasympathetic excitation contracts the ciliary muscle

 Glands of the Body
 The nasal, lacrimal, salivary and many gastrointestinal glands
 Strongly stimulated by the parasympathetic nervous system
 Sympathetic stimulation causes vasoconstriction of the blood
vessels that supply the glands and in this way sometimes reduces
their rates of secretion
 The sweat glands (Apocrine and Eccrine)
 Secrete large quantities of sweat when the sympathetic nerves are stimulated.
 Parasympathetic stimulation has no effect
 Plexus of the Gastrointestinal System
 Myenteric plexus or Auerbach’s plexus
 For the control of motility
 Submucosal plexus or Meissner’s plexus
 For the control of secretions and absorption

 Heart
 Sympathetic stimulation
 Increased rate and force of heart contraction
 Parasympathetic stimulation
 decreased heart rate and *strength of contraction
 Systemic Blood Vessels
 Sympathetic stimulation
 Most systemic blood vessels are constricted (Alpha Effect)\
 Muscarinic effect

 Beta effect

 Parasympathetic stimulation
 no effects on most blood vessels

 Arterial Pressure
 Reproduction
 Parasympathetic stimulation
 Erection
 Sympathetic stimulation
 Emission and Ejaculation
 Others
 In general, most of the entodermal structures, such as the ducts of
the liver, gallbladder, ureter, urinary bladder, and bronchi, are
inhibited by sympathetic stimulation but excited by parasympathetic
stimulation
 Sympathetic stimulation also has multiple metabolic effects such as
release of glucose from the liver, increase in blood glucose
concentration, increase in glycogenolysis in both liver and
muscle, increase in skeletal muscle strength, increase in basal
metabolic rate, and increase in mental activity