Alpha-7 and alpha-4 nicotinic receptor subunit immunoreactivity in genioglossus muscle motoneurons

In the present study, immunohistochemistry combined with retrograde labeling techniques were used to determine if hypoglossal motoneurons (HMNs), retrogradely labeled after cholera toxin B subunit (CTB) injection to the genioglossus muscle in rats, show immunoreactivity for alpha-7 and alpha-4 subunits of nicotinic acetylcholine receptors (nAChRs). CTB-positive HMNs projecting to the genioglossus muscle were consistently labeled throughout the rostrocaudal extent of the hypoglossal nuclei with the greatest labeling at and caudal to area postrema. Alpha-7 subunit immunoreactivity was found in 39.44 ± 5.10% of 870 CTB-labeled motoneurons and the alpha-4 subunit in 51.01 ± 3.71% of 983 CTB-positive neurons. Rostrally, the number of genioglossal motoneurons demonstrating immunoreactivity for the alpha-7 subunit was 45.85 ± 10.04% compared to 34.96 ± 5.11% at and caudal to area postrema (P > 0.1). The number of genioglossal motoneurons that showed immunoreactivity for the alpha-4 subunit was 55.03 ± 4.83% at and caudal to area postrema compared to 42.98 ± 3.90% in rostral areas (P = 0.074). These results demonstrate that nAChR immunoreactivity is present in genioglossal motoneurons and suggest a role for alpha-7 and alpha-4 subunits containing nAChRs in the regulation of upper airway patency.