Unmyelinated preganglionic fibers in frog ventral roots

Abstract

It has been suggested that the preganglionic visceral fibers in the frog are unmyelinated. To obtain further evidence for this suggestion: (1) the percentages of unmyelinated fibers and the myelinated fiber histograms were done for all frog ventral roots, (2) the number of unmyelinated fibers were counted on either side of a chronic section of the seventh ventral root and (3) compound action potentials were obtained for roots 7-10. The results are that slightly more than 80% of the unmyelinated fibers in the seventh ventral root arise in the spinal cord and are presumably unmyelinated preganglionic efferents. Furthermore, a C fiber volley could be followed from the seventh ventral root into caudal parts of the sympathetic chain. Thus this data provides confirmation for the idea that many frog preganglionic fibers are unmyelinated. This study also shows that 24% of the ventral root axons in the frog are unmyelinated and that, on the basis of percentages of unmyelinated fibers and myelinated fiber histograms, there are five categories of frog ventral roots.