Paracervical ganglia of the female rat: Histochemistry and immunohistochemistry of neurons, SIF cells, and nerve terminals

Abstract

The paracervical ganglia of the female rat were studied to elucidate the variety of neural elements in the ganglia. Light and electron microscopy, histochemistry, and immunohistochemistry were employed to reveal subtypes of neurons; small, intensely fluorescent (SIF) cells; and nerve terminals and to examine the relationships between these elements. On the basis of their histochemical markers, four subtypes of principal neurons were identified: acetylcholinesterase (ACHE)-positive, noradrenergic, neuropeptide tyrosine-immunoreactive (NPY-I), and vasoactive intestinal polypeptide-immunoreactive (VIP-I). The NPY-I neurons appeared to be the most numerous and the noradrenergic the least common type of neuron. Four subtypes of chemically coded SIF cells were revealed: catecholamine-containing, NPY-I, and those immunoreactive for calcitonin-gene-related peptide (CGRP-I) and cholecystokinin-octapeptide (CCK-8-I). The SIF cells were present as single cells among and adjacent to principal neurons and as large clusters near the edges of the ganglia or in nearby nerve trunks. Synaptic contacts on SIF cells, or between SIF-cell processes and neurons, were not observed. Seven subtypes of nerve terminals were stained: ACHE-positive, CGRP-I, CCK-8-I, VIP-I, substance P-I, enkephalin-I, and atrial natriuretic factor-I. Nerve terminals enwrapped the neurons as perineuronal plexuses in synaptic-like relationships. These results demonstrate that the paracervical ganglia of the female rat are a complex system of neural elements. For example, several classes of chemically coded neurons, SIF cells, and terminals exist in the ganglia. Each of these components contains a number of substances, some of which are putative neurotransmitters, which could influence activity in the ganglia or in the effector organs innervated by the ganglia.

Innervation of the rat uterus at estrus: A study in full‐thickness, immunoperoxidase‐stained whole‐mount preparations

“…This plexus of axons was not obvious in uterine horns stained for TH, although TH staining in other uterine regions was uniformly robust. In the female rat, both the major pelvic ganglion (also called the paracervical ganglion) and the inferior mesenteric ganglion contain sympathetic postganglionic neurons that project to the uterus, and in both ganglia the majority of TH-immunoreactive neurons also contain NPY (Papka et al, 1987(Papka et al, , 1996. Nevertheless, the absence of TH-immunoreactive axons at the circular muscle-endometrium interface suggests that sympathetic axons do not make a major contribution to the circular muscle plexus.…”

Effects of chronic oestrogen treatment are not selective for uterine noradrenaline‐containing sympathetic nerves: a transplantation study

“…The presence in the rat uterus of a substantial contribution of short sympathetic fibres remains controversial. Some authors have reported that one-third to a half of the neurons in the rat paracervical ganglia are noradrenergic (Kanerva et al 1972 ;Inyama et al 1985), whereas only a few or no noradrenergic neurons have been recognised by others (Garfield, 1986 ;Papka et al 1987 ;Hondeau et al 1995Hondeau et al , 1998.…”

Neurochemical characteristics of paracervical ganglion in the pig

“…The percentage of neurons containing noradrenaline (NA) in pelvic ganglia depends on species and gender and is correlated with a density of adrenergic innervation of genital organs. For example, a rat myometrium exhibits a low number of adrenergic fibres (Adham and Schenk, 1969;Papka et al, 1985), which is correlated with a low number of adrenergic neurons in paracervical ganglia (Papka et al, 1987;Houdeau et al, 1995). The situation is similar in mice (Wanigasekara et al, 2003) and guinea pigs Dhami and Mitchell, 1991;Elfvin et al, 1997).…”

“…The available literature reports similar results to the ones described above (Inyama et al, 1985;Morris and Gibbins, 1987;Papka et al, 1995;Majewski, 1997). In the rat PCG VIP-positive neurons constitute one third to one half of all the PCG's neurons (Inyama et al, 1985;Papka et al, 1987), and in a guinea pig's PCG this number is even higher (62-65%; Gu et al, 1984;Morris and Gibbins, 1987). VIP was also found in numerous neurons in the pelvic ganglia of a boar (Kaleczyc, 1997;Kaleczyc et al, 2003) and sow (Majewski, 1997;Wasowicz et al, 2002).…”