NADPH-DIAPHORASE-POSITIVE NEURONS INNERVATING THE RAT OVARY

Nerve cell bodies projecting to the ovary were visualized in dorsal ro ot ganglia (DRG) and paravertebral ganglia after application of the re trograde tracer Fluoro-gold to the superior ovarian and plexus nerves. The location of fluorescent cells in sections of ganglia was recorded and subsequently nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide phosphate (NADPH)- diaphorase histochemistry was utilized to locate nitric oxide synthase (NOS) whose presence indicates sites where nitric oxide (NO) can be s ynthesized. No fluorescent nerve cell bodies in paravertebral ganglia were NADPH-diaphorase-positive. In contrast, numerous Fluoro-gold-labe led nerve cell bodies in DRG at segmental levels T-12-L(1) were NADPH- diaphorase positive. Thus, many sensory neurons projecting to the ovar y contain NOS and presumably release NO. This gaseous messenger molecu le may participate in modulation of ovarian function.