Prolonged exposure of ganglionic nicotinic receptors to nicotine may be expected to lead to:

Prolonged exposure of ganglionic nicotinic receptors to nicotine typically leads to desensitization and eventually can result in ganglionic blockade, as the receptors become less responsive after continuous stimulation.

This means that, after prolonged exposure to nicotine, you would expect a decrease in the overall activity of the autonomic nervous system that is mediated via these ganglionic nicotinic receptors.

Therefore, the most appropriate answer is:

**E. Ganglionic blockade.**