Distribution and neurochemical characterisation of sensory dorsal root ganglia neurons supplying porcine urinary bladder (original) (raw)

Localization of peripheral autonomic neurons innervating the boar urinary bladder trigone and neurochemical features of the sympathetic component

European Journal of Histochemistry, 2013

The urinary bladder trigone (UBT) is a limited area through which the majority of vessels and nerve fibers penetrate into the urinary bladder and where nerve fibers and intramural neurons are more concentrated. We localized the extramural post-ganglionic autonomic neurons supplying the porcine UBT by means of retrograde tracing (Fast Blue, FB). Moreover, we investigated the phenotype of sympathetic trunk ganglia (STG) and caudal mesenteric ganglia (CMG) neurons positive to FB (FB+) by coupling retrograde tracing and double-labeling immunofluorescence methods. A mean number of 1845.1±259.3 FB+ neurons were localized bilaterally in the L1-S3 STG, which appeared as small pericarya (465.6±82.7 µm 2) mainly localized along an edge of the ganglion. A large number (4287.5±1450.6) of small (476.1±103.9 µm 2) FB+ neurons were localized mainly along a border of both CMG. The largest number (4793.3±1990.8) of FB+ neurons was observed in the pelvic plexus (PP), where labeled neurons were often clustered within different microganglia and had smaller soma cross-sectional area (374.9±85.4 µm 2). STG and CMG FB+ neurons were immunoreactive (IR) for tyrosine hydroxylase (TH) (66±10.1% and 52.7±8.2%, respectively), dopamine beta-hydroxylase (DbH) (62±6.2% and 52±6.2%, respectively), neuropeptide Y (NPY) (59±8.2% and 65.8±7.3%, respectively), calcitonin-gene-related peptide (CGRP) (24.1±3.3% and 22.1±3.3%, respectively), substance P (SP) (21.6±2.4% and 37.7±7.5%, respectively), vasoactive intestinal polypeptide (VIP) (18.9±2.3% and 35.4±4.4%, respectively), neuronal nitric oxide synthase (nNOS) (15.3±2% and 32.9±7.7%, respectively), vesicular acetylcholine transporter (VAChT) (15±2% and 34.7±4.5%, respectively), leuenkephalin (LENK) (14.3±7.1% and 25.9±8.9%, respectively), and somatostatin (SOM) (12.4±3% and 31.8±7.3%, respectively). UBT-projecting neurons were also surrounded by VAChT-, CGRP-, LENK-, and nNOS-IR fibers. The possible role of these neurons and fibers in the neural pathways of the UBT is discussed. We have chosen the domestic pig as experimental animal because it has been regarded as a more suitable model for studying human lower urinary tract innervation than rodents or carnivores. 15-18 Materials and Methods All the procedures described below were carried out in accordance with the European Communities Council Directive of 24 November 1986 (86/609/EEC) and the Italian legislation regarding experimental animals, after approval by the Scientific Ethics Committee for Experiments on Animals of the University of Parma (Prot. Rif. 68/09). All possible efforts were made to minimize the number of animals used and their suffering. Four intact male crossbreed (Large white x Landrace x Duroc) pigs (aged 3 months, mean body weight: 34±3 Kg, range 30-38 Kg) were maintained on a diet and water ad libitum for 1 week before the experiment. For 24 h prior to surgery, the animals were not given any food and preventive antibiotic therapy with Ceftiofur (Naxcel 5 mg/Kg i.m., Pfizer, Sandwich Kent, UK) was administered. The animals were sedated by intramuscular injection of azaperone (4-10 mg/10 Kg,

Demonstration of intrinsic innervation of the guinea pig upper urinary tract using whole-mount preparation

Neurourology and Urodynamics, 2008

Aims: The morphology and functional importance of the autonomic nervous system in the upper urinary tract is still not completely understood. Previous histological studies investigating the innervation of the urinary tract have mainly used conventional sections in which the three-dimensional structure of the intramural innervation is difficult to achieve. In contrast, the whole-mount preparation technique is a suitable method for visualizing the distribution of the mesh-like neuronal networks within the urinary tract. Methods: The distribution and regional variation of neurofilament (NF), tyrosine hydroxylase (TH), choline acetyltransferase (ChAT), and substance P-immunoreactive (SP-IR) neurons, as well as acetylcholinesterase (AChE) and nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide phosphate-diaphorase (NADPH-d)-positive neurons were investigated using whole-mount preparations of the guinea pig upper urinary tract. Results: Two distinct nervous plexuses were detected within the muscle layers containing NF, TH, ChAT, and SP-IR nerves. AChE-positive nerves were seen in all layers. Only moderate NADPH-d-positive innervation was found. Renal pelvis, upper and lower part of the ureter showed an overall increased innervation compared to the middle portion of the ureter. Ganglia were found at the pelviureteric border displaying NF and TH immunoreactivity. Conclusion: The whole-mount preparation technique provides an elegant method for assessing the three-dimensional architecture of ureteral innervation. The guinea pig upper urinary tract is richly supplied with adrenergic, cholinergic, nitrergic, and sensory nerves which suggest that the autonomous nervous system plays an important role in controlling ureteral motility and blood flow.

Histological and electrical properties of rat dorsal root ganglion neurons innervating the lower urinary tract

The Journal of Neuroscience : The Official Journal of the Society for Neuroscience

We investigated whether primary afferent neurons innervating different regions of the lower urinary tract have different histochemical and electrophysiological properties. Neurons in rat L6 -S1 DRG were identified by axonal transport of a fluorescent dye. Neurofilamentnegative C-fiber cells comprise ϳ70% of bladder and proximal urethral afferent neurons that send axons through the pelvic nerves, but comprise a smaller proportion (51%) of distal urethral neurons that send axons through the pudendal nerves. Isolectin-B4 (IB4) binding was detected in a higher percentage (49%) of C-fiber neurons innervating the distal urethra than in those innervating the bladder or proximal urethra (18 -22%). Neurofilament-positive A-fiber neurons innervating the distal urethra had a larger average somal size than neurons innervating the bladder or proximal urethra. In patch-clamp recordings, the majority (70%) of bladder and proximal urethral neurons were sensitive to capsaicin and exhibited TTX-resistant, high-threshold action potentials, whereas a smaller proportion (53%) of distal urethral neurons exhibited TTX-resistant spikes. T-type Ca 2ϩ currents were observed in 47% of distal urethral neurons with TTX-sensitive spikes, but not in TTX-sensitive bladder or proximal urethral neurons. In summary, afferent neurons innervating bladder or proximal urethra differ from those innervating distal urethra. The latter, which more closely resemble cutaneous afferent neurons, consist of a smaller number of C-fiber neurons containing a higher percentage of IB4-positive cells and a more diverse population of A-fiber neurons, some of which exhibit T-type Ca 2ϩ channels. These differences may be related to different functions of respective target organs in the lower urinary tract.

Neurochemical features of boar lumbosacral dorsal root ganglion neurons and characterization of sensory neurons innervating the urinary bladder trigone

Journal of Comparative Neurology, 2012

Porcine lumbosacral dorsal root ganglion (DRG) neurons were neurochemically characterized by using six neuronal markers: calcitonin gene‐related peptide (CGRP), substance P (SP), neuronal nitric oxide synthase (nNOS), neurofilament 200kDa (NF200), transient receptor potential vanilloid 1 (TRPV1), and isolectin B4 (IB4) from Griffonia simplicifolia. In addition, the phenotype and cross‐sectional area of DRG neurons innervating the urinary bladder trigone (UBT) were evaluated by coupling retrograde tracer technique and immunohistochemistry. Lumbar and sacral DRG neuronal subpopulations were immunoreactive (IR) for CGRP (30 ± 3% and 29 ± 3%, respectively), SP (26 ± 8% and 27 ± 12%, respectively), nNOS (21 ± 4% and 26 ± 7%, respectively), NF200 (75 ± 14% and 81 ± 7%, respectively), and TRPV1 (48 ± 13% and 43 ± 6%, respectively), and labeled for IB4 (56 ± 6% and 43 ± 10%, respectively). UBT sensory neurons, which were distributed from L2 to Ca1 DRG, had a segmental localization, showing ...

Co-existence of nitrergic, peptidergic and acetylcholine esterase-positive nerves in the pig lower urinary tract

Journal of the Autonomic Nervous System, 1995

The distribution of NO synthase (NOS) immunoreactive nerves and the possible co-existence with other neurotransmitters were investigated in the pig lower urinary tract. NOS immunoreactive nerves were found in the muscle layer, in the lamina propria and around blood vessels. The density of NOS immunoreactive nerves was more prominent in the trigone and urethra than in the detrusor. All parts of the lower urinary tract were supplied by numerous acetylcholine esterase (ACHE) positive nerves. The number of adrenergic nerves in the trigone and urethra was moderate to rich, whereas only very few adrenergic nerves were demonstrated in the detrusor. A low to moderate number of nerve fibres containing neuropeptide Y (NPY) and vasoactive intestinal polypeptide (VIP) were observed in the trigone and urethra, while very few were found in the detrusor. A small number of nerves, confined to the trigone and urethra, were stained for calcitonin-gene-related peptide, somatostatin and leu-enkephalin. Nerve fibres exhibiting immunoreactivity to bombesin/gastrin releasing peptide, gastrin/cholecystokinin, substance P or neurokinin A were virtually absent. Co-localization studies revealed that some NOS-immunoreactive nerves also stained for NPY, VIP or ACHE. The present study shows that nitrergic nerves are present in the pig lower urinary tract in a density lower than the cholinergic, but higher than any of the studied peptidergic nerves. Coinciding localization of NOS-positive nerves with nerves expressing ACHE, VIP and NPY suggests that NO may have a role as a messenger in the lower urinary tract directly and by interaction with other transmitters. NANC) effects, and both intraneuronal storage and functional responses can be demonstrated (e.g., Refs. 3 and 30). The purine ATP seems to be the main noncholinergic excitatory transmitter in the detrusor [3,10]. Despite extensive research, no candidate for the inhibitory NANC transmitter involved in 0165-1838/95/$09.50

Responses of the Rabbit and Cat Urinary Bladders in Situ to Drugs and to Nerve Stimulation

Acta Pharmacologica et Toxicologica, 1972

The response to atropine, hexamethonium, nicotine, emepronium bromide and some adrenergic compounds has been studied on the urinary bladder of the rabbit and the cat. It was shown that atropine caused a very small or no reduction in the response to electrically stimulated parasympathetic nerves in the urinary bladder of the rabbit. In the cat a dose dependent blockade was obtained after atropine administration. The stimulating response was abolished by hexamethonium or nicotine, suggesting that there are nicotinic receptors in the parasympathetic pathway. It is possible that the parasympathetic nerves running to the rabbit urinary bladder end in such nicotinic receptors on the effector cells in the detrusor muscle. Emepronium bromide, a potent anticholinergic compound, used clinically as a urological drug, was found t o block the stimulatory response, which was interpreted as an effect on parasympathetic nicotinic receptors. Experiments with isoprenaline, adrenaline and noradrenaline showed that there are adrenergic a-and t3-receptors in the urinary bladder of the rabbit.

The distribution and chemical coding of urinary bladder trigone-projecting neurons in testicular and aorticorenal ganglia in male pigs

Polish Journal of Veterinary Sciences, 2023

Combined retrograde tracing and double-labelling immunofluorescence were used to investigate the distribution and chemical coding of neurons in testicular (TG) and aorticoerenal (ARG) ganglia supplying the urinary bladder trigone (UBT) in juvenile male pigs (n=4, 12 kg. of body weight). Retrograde fluorescent tracer Fast Blue (FB) was injected into the wall of the bladder trigone under pentobarbital anesthesia. After three weeks all the pigs were deeply anesthetized and transcardially perfused with 4% buffered paraformaldehyde. TG and ARG, were collected and processed for double-labelling immunofluorescence. The expression of tyrosine hydroxylase (TH) or dopamine beta-hydroxylase (DBH), neuropeptide Y (NPY), somatostatin (SOM), galanin (GAL), nitric oxide synthase (NOS) and vesicular acetylcholine transporter (VAChT) were investigated. The cryostat sections were examined with a Zeiss LSM 710 confocal microscope equipped with adequate filter blocks. The TG and ARG were found to contain many FB-positive neurons projecting to the UBT (UBT-PN). The UBT-PN were distributed in both TG and ARG. The majority of them were found in the right ganglia, mostly in TG. Immunohistochemistry disclosed that the vast majority of UBT-PN were noradrenergic (TH-and/or DBH-positive). Many noradrenergic neurons contained also immunoreactivity to NPY, SOM or GAL. Most of the UBT-PN were supplied with VAChT-, or NOS-IR (immunoreactive) varicose nerve fibres. This study has revealed a relatively large population of differently coded prevertebral neurons projecting to the porcine urinary bladder. As judged from their neurochemical organization these nerve cells constitute an important element of the complex neuro-endocrine system involved in the regulation of the porcine urogenital organ function.

The influence of resiniferatoxin on the chemical coding of neurons in dorsal root ganglia supplying the urinary bladder in the female pig

Polish Journal of Veterinary Sciences, 2000

The influence of resiniferatoxin on the chemical coding of neurons in dorsal root ganglia supplying the urinary bladder in the female pig Although resiniferatoxin (RTX) becomes more often used in experimental therapies of sensory system disorders, so far there is no data concerning the influence of RTX on the chemical coding of neurons in dorsal root ganglia (DRG) supplying the urinary bladder in the pig, an animal species considered as a reliable animal model for investigation dealing with human lower urinary tract disorders. Retrograde tracer Fast Blue (FB) was injected into the wall of the right half of the urinary bladder in six juvenile female pigs, and three weeks later, bladder instillation of RTX (500 nmol per animal) was carried out in all the animals. After a week, DRGs were harvested from all the pigs and the neurochemical characterization of FB+ neurons was performed using routine single-immunofluorescence labeling technique on 10-μm-thick cryostat sections. RTX instilla...