<正> The autonomic innervation of the gall bladder and theextrahepatic biliary ducts were studied on whole mount stretchpreparations and cryostat sections with acetylcholinesterase staining

glyoxylic acid induced fluorescence histochemical method andimmunohistochemical method. The cholinergic nerve of the gall bladder incats consists of subserous ganglionated plexus and submucousganglionated plexus. In the biliary ducts

the adrenergic nerves aredistributed in the subserosa and lamina propria along the blood vessels.The adrenergic nerves surround the non-fluorescent neurons forming abasket-like structure. The density of adrenergic nerves and theconcentration of noradrenaline are higher in the collum than in the fundusof the gall bladder. The highest density of adrenergic nerves andconcentration noradrenaline are found in the cystic duct.Immunohistochemical study revealed that there are 4 kinds ofimmunoreactive nerves

that is

vasoactive intestinal polypeptide

substanceP

L-enkephalin and somatostatin nerves distributed in the wall of thewhole bile duct system. They participate in the formation of nerveplexuses. Among the peptidergic nerves

vasoactive polypeptideimmunoreactive nerve is the richest

while the other 3 are rarely seen.Peptidergic nerves are densely distributed in the sphincter of Oddi.Finally

the physiological significance of peptidergic nerves in the billaryduct system was discussed.