Immunohistochemical properties of nerve fibres supplying accessory male genital glands in the pig. A colocalisation study

Abstract

Immunohistochemical studies have been performed to investigate the occurrence and coexistence of two catecholamine-synthesising enzymes, tyrosine hydroxylase and dopamine-beta-hydroxylase, and several neuropeptides, including neuropeptide Y, vasoactive intestinal polypeptide, Leu5-enkephalin, somatostatin, calcitonin gene-related peptide and substance P, in nerve fibres supplying porcine accessory genital glands, the seminal vesicles, prostate (body and the disseminated part) and bulbourethral glands. Three major populations of nerve fibres supplying non-vascular elements of the glands have been distinguished (from the largest to the smallest one): (1) noradrenergic fibres, the majority of which contain Leu5-enkephalin, neuropeptide Y or, to a lesser extent, somatostatin, (2) non-noradrenergic, putative cholinergic fibres containing vasoactive intestinal polypeptide, neuropeptide Y and/or somatostatin and, (3) nonnoradrenergic, presumably sensory fibres, containing calcitonin gene-related peptide and substance P. Whilst the coexistence patterns within nerves supplying particular glands are similar, the density of innervation varies between the organs. The innervation of the seminal vesicles and prostatic body is more developed than that of the disseminated part of the prostate and bulbourethral glands. The majority of noradrenergic fibres related to blood vessels contain neuropeptide Y only, while the non-noradrenergic nerves contain mainly vasoactive intestinal polypeptide. The possible function and origin of particular nerve fibre populations are discussed.

Immunohistochemical characterisation of cholinergic nerve fibres supplying accessory genital glands in the pig

“…In our recent study dealing with the innervation of the porcine AGG we found that many non-adrenergic nerve fibres were localized beneath the tubular epithelium and in the interstitial tissue (Kaleczyc et al, 1999). These fibres coexpressed immunoreactivities to NPY and VIP, VIP and SOM or to NPY and SOM, thus it is likely that these tree peptides coexist within some of the nerve terminals.…”

“…However, the knowledge of neurochemical properties of cholinergic nerve fibres supplying AGG is still very limited. Therefore, the present study was designed to investigate the presence and coexistence of VAChT and other biologically active substances including NPY, VIP, SOM (neuropeptides found earlier to occur most frequently in nonadrenergic nerve fibres supplying the porcine AGG; Kaleczyc et al, 1999) and DβH in nerve terminals supplying the porcine AGG using single and double-labelling immunofluorescence.…”

Localization of immunoreactivities for neuropeptides and neurotransmitter-synthesizing enzymes in the pterygopalatine ganglion of the pig

“…The slides were rehydrated in phosphate buffered saline (PBS, pH 7.4) and processed for double-immunofluorescence as described previously (Kaleczyc et al, 1999). Antibodies data are shown in Table 1.…”

Immunohistochemical characterisation of neurons in the mandibular ganglion and nerve fibres supplying the porcine mandibular gland

“…The relative frequency of nerve fibres (-= not found, ± = single fibres, + = few fibres, ++ = intermediate number of fibres, +++ = many fibres) was assessed using a semi-quantitative method matching that applied in our previous paper (Kaleczyc et al 1999). The evaluation of the structures in the same preparations was independently performed by two investigators.…”