Gienc J., Kuder T. and Szczurkowski A. 1990. Parasym pathetic ganglia in the
head of western hedgehog Erinaceus europaeus. II. Pterygopalatine ganglion.
Acta Theriologica 35 (3 -4 ): 3 6 9 -3 7 3 , 1990. PL IS SN 00 0 1 -7051
Parasympathetic gangalia in the head o f western hedgehog Erinaceus europaeus. II. Pterygopalatine ganglion
Ja n G IE N C , T adeusz K U D E R and A leksander S Z C Z U R K O W S K I
G ienc J., K u d e r T. a n d Szczurkow ski A. 1990. P a ra sy m p ath etic ganglia in the h ead o f w estern hedgehog Erinaceus europaeus. II. P terygopalatine ganglion. A cta theriol. 35: 3 6 9 -3 7 3 . U sing the thio ch o lin e m ethod o f K oelle an d F riedenw ald, and histological techniques the ptery g o p alatin e gang lio n o f the w estern hedgehog Erinaceus europaeus from the W roclaw P rovince w as studied. T he ganglion w as found to be a dense, elongated aggregation o f neurocytes, 3 - 4 m m long and 0.5 - 1.0 m m b ro a d . T he ganglion is very tightly a tta ch e d to the p tery g o p alatin e nerve by connective tissue. D e p artm en t o f A n a to m y , In stitu te o f Biology, Pedagogical College, Rew. Październikow ej str. 33, 2 5 -5 1 8 K ielce, P o lan d K ey words: p tery g o p a la tin e ganglion, Erinaceus europaeus
Introduction
This paper presents continuation of research on the parasym pathetic cephalic ganglia in the western hedgehog Erinaceus europaeus Linnaeus, 1758 (Gienc et al. 1988). Due to substantial differences in the m orphology and topography of the pterygopalatine ganglion in mammals, this structure in the hedgehog, as a represen tative of the most primitive placentalia, from which more specialized orders descend, was studied. Material and methods R esearch was c arried o u t on eight ad u lt w estern hedgehogs o f bo th sexes. T he anim als were killed by d e ca p ita tio n under ether an asth esia. F o r histochem ical exam in atio n five anim als were used . T he area o f the trigem inal nerve w as exposed carefully by dissection. T his m aterial w as studied in situ by the thiocholine m eth o d o f K oelle-F riedenw ald (1948), m odified by G ienc (1976, 1977) for use in m acrom orphological specim ens. F rom the rem aining three anim als, tissues were taken fo r histological exam ination. T he sections were em bedded in parafin an d cu t serially a t 10 /¿m thickness in a m icrotom e. Staining w as done by N issl’s m ethod.
Results
As macroscopic exam ination has shown, the pterygopalatine ganglion in the hedgehog is so tightly bound to the pterygopalatine nerve by connective tissue that together they create a dense, elongated structure, situated along the upper edge of the maxillary nerve (Fig. 1, 2 and 3). Histological cross-sections show very clearly that connective tissue forms both a sheath surrounding these structures and separates them from the maxillary nerve (Fig. 4 A - D ) . Transverse histological cross-sections show even better the relation between the ganglion and the nerve. Cells making up the caudal and the intermediate part o f the ganglion are in close contact with the dorsal and lateral [369]
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