Elsevier

Neuroscience Letters

Volume 280, Issue 2, 18 February 2000, Pages 123-126
Neuroscience Letters

Transmitter profile and spinal inputs of pelvic ganglion cells projecting with preganglionic axons along the hypogastric and pelvic nerves of the male rat

https://doi.org/10.1016/S0304-3940(00)00771-0Get rights and content

Abstract

Pelvic autonomic ganglion cells receive spinal preganglionic inputs via the hypogastric (lumbar) or pelvic (sacral) nerves. Damage to these nerves stimulates axogenesis (sprouting) from pelvic ganglion cells and two possible triggers are deafferentation (decentralisation) or, if some ganglion cells project centrally in these nerves, axotomy. We have used a combination of retrograde tracing and immunohistochemistry in male rats to identify the number of pelvic ganglion cells that project centrally along these nerves, their transmitter type and the spinal level of their preganglionic inputs. Only a small number (<1%) of pelvic ganglion cells project along these nerves; 29–65 project in each hypogastric nerve and 41–71 in each pelvic nerve. These neurons comprise of both cholinergic and noradrenergic classes and the majority receive preganglionic inputs from the nerve in which they also project. These results suggest that damage of the hypogastric and pelvic nerves close to the pelvic ganglion is unlikely to cause axotomy of many pelvic ganglion cells. Therefore deafferentation rather than axotomy is likely to be the primary trigger of axogenesis occurring in pelvic ganglia after these lesions.

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Acknowledgements

This work was supported by the National Health and Medical Research Council of Australia (Project Grant No. 971081).

Cited by (7)

  • Plasticity of pelvic autonomic ganglia and urogenital innervation

    2006, International Review of Cytology
    Citation Excerpt :

    Either hypogastric (lumbar) or pelvic (sacral) deafferentation causes rapid growth of axon collaterals from pelvic ganglion neurons (Fig. 4C) (Dail and Evan, 1978; Dail et al., 1997b; Keast, 2004; Kepper and Keast, 1998). Very few pelvic ganglion neurons project out along these nerves (Dail and Minorsky, 1986; Kepper and Keast, 2000), so the primary drive is likely to be the loss of spinal inputs (deafferentation). Axon collaterals grow in the pelvic ganglia within just a couple of days of nerve injury, irrespective of whether the hypogastric or pelvic nerves are cut and whether spinal nerves are cut or crushed.

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