Motor innervation of the toad iris (Bufo marinus).

The sphincter pupillae muscle cells in the iris of Bufo marinus contract autonomously in response to bright light, causing a rapid constriction of the pupil. A strong sympathetic beta-adrenergic inhibition of the sphincter pupillae is apparent in this species. The inhibitory fibers can originate in the second, third, or fourth ventral spinal roots. No strong, consistent excitatory innervation of the toad iris was detected, even by transmural stimulation of the isolated iris. Pupilloconstriction occasionally resulted from stimulation of the 3rd or 5th cranial nerves, but the effect was small (10-20% of the magnitude of the light response) and inconsistent. It therefore appears that the toad must regulate pupillary diameter by balancing myogenic contraction, in direct response to light, against neurogenic (sympathetic) relaxation of the sphincter pupillae.