THE DISTRIBUTION AND COLOCALIZATION OF IMMUNOREACTIVITY TO NITRIC-OXIDE SYNTHASE, VASOACTIVE INTESTINAL POLYPEPTIDE AND SUBSTANCE-P WITHIN NERVE-FIBERS SUPPLYING BOVINE AND PORCINE FEMALE GENITAL ORGANS
M. Majewski et al., THE DISTRIBUTION AND COLOCALIZATION OF IMMUNOREACTIVITY TO NITRIC-OXIDE SYNTHASE, VASOACTIVE INTESTINAL POLYPEPTIDE AND SUBSTANCE-P WITHIN NERVE-FIBERS SUPPLYING BOVINE AND PORCINE FEMALE GENITAL ORGANS, Cell and tissue research, 281(3), 1995, pp. 445-464
The distribution of nitric oxide synthase-immunoreactive (NOS-IR) axon
s and their relationship to structures immunoreactive to vasoactive in
testinal poly peptide (VIP), substance P (SP) and tyrosine hydroxylase
(TH) were studied by means of the nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide p
hosphate-diaphorase (NADPH-d) technique or double-labelling immunofluo
rescence in the genital organs of cow and pig. Relevant neurons were a
lso investigated in the pig. NOS-containing neural structures were TH-
immunonegative in bovine or porcine genital organs, or in the studied
ganglia. In the bovine ovary, NOS-IR nerves were neither VIP-IR nor SP
-IR, whereas in the pig, most NOS-containing axons were also VIP-IR. T
he oviduct was supplied by single NOS/VIP- or NOS/SP-containing nerves
, whereas in the uterus, NOS-IR axons were moderate in number, often b
eing immunoreactive for VIP or SP. Numerous NOS/VIP-IR and NOS/SP-IR n
erves were found in the vagina of both species. In all tissues studied
, NOS-IR axons were mainly related to vascular smooth muscle. Most of
the neurons of the paracervical ganglia and some neurons in dorsal roo
t ganglia exhibited strong NOS activity. Only single neurons in sympat
hetic ganglia were NADPH-d-positive. Most nitrergic neurons in the aut
onomic ganglia were VIP-IR but SP-immunonegative. The sensory neurons
were mostly NOS/SP-IR, whereas only single neurons co-expressed NOS an
d VIP immunoreactivity.