Elsevier

Neuroscience Letters

Volume 196, Issue 2, 25 August 1995, Pages 209-212
Neuroscience Letters

All pelvic neurons in male rats contain immunoreactivity for the synthetic enzymes of either noradrenaline or acetylcholine

https://doi.org/10.1016/0304-3940(95)11874-VGet rights and content

Abstract

The pelvic ganglia contain sympathetic and parasympathetic neurons that supply the lower urinary and digestive tracts and internal reproductive organs. Although synthetic enzymes for noradrenaline have been previously identified in about one-third of these neurons, until very recently the methodology has not been available to directly determine whether all of the remaining neurons are cholinergic. The present immunohistochemical study has used a new antibody directed against a peptide fragment of choline acetyltransferase (ChAT) to identify pelvic cholinergic neurons. The results show that all pelvic neurons are either noradrenergic or cholinergic (as seen by the presence of tyrosine hydroxylase (TH) or ChAT, respectively). Neurons containing neither or both enzymes are extremely rare. It is concluded that the neuropeptides found in most pelvic neurons coexist with either noradrenaline or acetylcholine and may be involved in cotransmission in the pelvic viscera.

Reference (14)

There are more references available in the full text version of this article.

Cited by (56)

  • Neurite outgrowth in cultured mouse pelvic ganglia - Effects of neurotrophins and bladder tissue

    2017, Autonomic Neuroscience: Basic and Clinical
    Citation Excerpt :

    The adrenergic, sympathetic nerves contain tyrosine hydroxylase (TH). In the pelvic ganglion of the male rat, about 1/3 of the neurons are TH positive (Keast et al., 1995) whereas < 10% are TH positive in the female rat (Vera and Nadelhaft, 1992). The number of neurons in the female pelvic ganglia is only about 40% of that in the male (Greenwood et al., 1985).

  • Sympathetic nervous system and inflammation: A conceptual view

    2014, Autonomic Neuroscience: Basic and Clinical
    Citation Excerpt :

    Most but not all nerve-mediated effects can be antagonized by blockade of adrenoceptors or muscarinic acetylcholine receptors. All postganglionic parasympathetic neurons are cholinergic, i.e. release acetylcholine on excitation (Keast et al., 1995). However, not all effects of stimulating parasympathetic nerves are blocked by muscarinic antagonists implying that other transmitters and/or other receptors are involved.

  • Dorsal root ganglion neurons innervating pelvic organs in the mouse express tyrosine hydroxylase

    2012, Neuroscience
    Citation Excerpt :

    Our present results also confirm that the LSC is the origin of a large proportion of TH-IR fibers in the colorectum and the urinary bladder, with smaller contributions from the MPG. In the latter, however, most of the several retrogradely traced neurons from the urinary bladder lacked TH and NET-1, possibly representing cholinergic input, as previously shown in studies on rat (Keast et al., 1995) and guinea pig (Elfvin et al., 1997). However, in a recent study in mouse, Tan et al. (2010) suggested that some TH-IR fibers apparently contacting jejunal myenteric plexus neurons, and with a confirmed extrinsic origin, could have a sensory origin.

  • Plasticity of pelvic autonomic ganglia and urogenital innervation

    2006, International Review of Cytology
    Citation Excerpt :

    This is already suggested by the multiple populations of chemically distinct pelvic ganglion neurons in guinea pigs (Morris and Gibbins, 1987), where up to five different potential inhibitory transmitters can be coexpressed in some neurons (Anderson et al., 1997). Most pelvic ganglion neurons are either cholinergic or noradrenergic, with only a very tiny population containing both or neither transmitter (Keast et al., 1995; Papka et al., 1999b). In addition, many other transmitters or neuroactive substances are made and/or stored in these neurons (Keast, 1995b, 1999).

View all citing articles on Scopus
View full text