Autonomic innervation of rat portal vein.

: The innervation of the rat portal vein was studied using the catecholamine fluorescence, cholinesterase and quinacrine histochemical methods. The rat portal vein, while provided with an adrenergic and cholinergic innervation, do not shows nerve fibers like structures with a selective affinity for quinacrine. A knowledge of the pattern of innervation of portal vein in various mammalian species may provide useful information to evaluate data obtained by the use of physiological and pharmacological methods.