S. Vanhatalo et S. Soinila, DIRECT NITRIC OXIDE-CONTAINING INNERVATION FROM THE RAT SPINAL-CORD TO THE PENIS, Neuroscience letters, 199(1), 1995, pp. 45-48
Nitric oxide synthase (NOS) -immunoreactive pathways to the rat penis
were studied by combining retrograde tracing by Fluorogold with NOS im
munohistochemistry. Injection of the tracer into the penile shaft resu
lted in Fluorogold labelling in a vast number of NOS-immunoreactive ne
urons in the major pelvic ganglion. In addition, some neurons in the s
pinal cord intermediolateral column consistently contained Fluorogold
label in the upper lumbar levels. Most of these neurons were also NOS-
immunoreactive. These findings suggest that the sympathetic preganglio
nic, NOS-containing neurons project to the penis, and they may partici
pate in nitric oxide-mediated penile erection.