The sympathetic innervation of the ciliary body and trabecular meshwork of the cat. Fluorescence histochemistry and electron microscopy.

The ciliary body of the cat was investigated by fluorescence histochemistry and electron microscopy in an attempt to clarify its sympathetic innervation. Subconjunctival doses of 5-hydroxydopamine (5-OHDA) or 6-hydroxydopamine (6-OHDA) were given to establish the precise location of the sympathetic nerve terminals. The distribution of noradrenergic fibers and terminals was shown by fluorescence histochemistry to be sparse in the trabecular meshwork and the anterior portion of the ciliary muscle, but dense in the subepithelial tissue. The small and large dense core vesicles which occur in many nerve endings of the subepithelial tissue adjacent to the pigmented epithelial layer increased in electron density following the administration of 5-OHDA. Many degenerating nerve endings were found in the same region of animals treated with 6-OHDA. In contrast, there were few noradrenergic terminals in the ciliary muscle except for a portion of the smooth muscle which was shown to be dually innervated. The noradrenergic fibers in the subepithelial region and the trabecular meshwork may play an important role in aqueous secretion and outflow.