THE INTRINSIC RENAL NERVES

Abstract

The possibility that the capricious nature of renal nerve staining might be due to local alterations in pH was tested by feeding expts. designed to render the urine acid or alkaline. No appreciable differences in nerve staining resulted. The disposition of the nerves in relation to the intrarenal vessels is briefly descr. The existence of extremely rich intrarenal nerve plexuses, of nerve plexuses within the glomeruli, of distinctly myelinated nerve fibers within the kidney, and of intrarenal ganglia or nerve cells could not be confirmed. The paucity of nerve fibers within the medulla is noted. The evidence suggests that they reach it from the small nerve bundles accompanying the arcuate arteries and arteriolae rectae. The cortex possesses a richer innervation than the medulla and nerve filaments can be demonstrated supplying both tubules and glomerular capsules. The latter receive fibrils which accompany their vessels and are derived from nearby inter-lobular nerves, besides others which are continuous with the delicate nerve bundles between adjacent tubules. Nerve strands probably exist within glomeruli, but they hav? not been identified with absolute certainty.