INNERVATION OF THE HUMAN VAGINAL MUCOSA AS REVEALED BY PGP-9.5 IMMUNOHISTOCHEMISTRY

In order to obtain a description of the innervation of the vaginal wal l we employed an antiserum against the general neuronal marker, protei n gene product 9.5, on normal human vaginal mucosa. Specimens were tak en from the anterior and posterior fornices, from the anterior vaginal wall at the bladder neck level and from the introitus vaginae region, and then processed for indirect immunohistochemistry. All regions stu died revealed a profound innervation, although regional differences we re noted. The more distal areas of the vaginal wall had more nerve fib ers compared to the more proximal parts, Also, biopsies from the anter ior wall generally were more densely innervated than the posterior wal l, Some large nerve coils were observed in lamina propria of the anter ior wall as well as gatherings of thick-walled medium-sized blood vess els. Free intraepithelial nerve endings were only detected in the intr oitus vaginae region. These fibers were very thin, always varicose and could be observed just a few cell layers from the surface. In this pa rt of the vagina, protein gene product 9.5 antibodies also stained cel ls within the basal pal ts of the epithelium. These cells were also ne urone-specific enolase positive and resembled, from a morphological po int of view, Merkel cells.