Extra-adrenal chromaffin organs (abdominal paraganglia) constitute rich sources of catecholamines. It is believed that these bodies contain norepinephrine exclusively. However, the present workers recently observed epinephrine type granules in para- ganglion cells. This report investigates catecholamine containing granules in rabbit paraganglia at the ultrastructural level.New Zealand white rabbits (150-170 grams) were anesthetized with 50 mg/kg Nembutal (IP) and perfused with 3% glutaraldehyde buffered with 0.2M sodium phosphate, pH 7.3. The retroperitoneal tissue blocks were removed and placed in perfusion fluid for 4 hours. The abdominal paraganglia were dissected from the blocks, diced, washed in phosphate buffer and fixed in 1% osmic acid buffered with phosphate. In other animals, the glutaraldehyde perfused tissue blocks were immersed for 1 hour in 3% glutaraldehyde/2.5% potassium iodate buffered as before. The paraganglia were then diced, separated into two vials and washed in the buffer. A portion of this tissue received osmic acid fixation.
Stimulatory effect of serotonin on Na+-dependent Ca2+ efflux from bovine adrenal chromaffin cells in culture