NADPH-DIAPHORASE-CONTAINING, NITRIC-OXIDE SYNTHASE-CONTAINING AND VIP-CONTAINING NERVE STRUCTURES IN THE HEN OVIDUCT - A HISTOCHEMICAL AND IMMUNOHISTOCHEMICAL STUDY
A. Costagliola et al., NADPH-DIAPHORASE-CONTAINING, NITRIC-OXIDE SYNTHASE-CONTAINING AND VIP-CONTAINING NERVE STRUCTURES IN THE HEN OVIDUCT - A HISTOCHEMICAL AND IMMUNOHISTOCHEMICAL STUDY, Archives of histology and cytology, 60(3), 1997, pp. 245-256
The enzyme NADPH-diaphorase (NADPH-d; a marker of NO producing or nitr
ergic neurons) and the neuropeptide VIP have been detected in nerve st
ructures of the hen oviduct by histochemical and immunohistochemical t
echniques performed on cryostatic sections and whole mount preparation
s, In the upper four segments of the oviduct, i.e. the infundibulum, m
agnum, isthmus and shell gland, nitrergic and VIP-positive nerve struc
tures were particularly numerous in the intermuscular and mucosal laye
rs, and were represented by fibres and cell bodies showing mainly a pe
rivascular distribution. Functionally, such perivascular structures we
re related to the blood dow regulation, Different types of nitrergic p
yrenophora were recognized in the walls of the shell gland on the basi
s of their peculiar morphology. In the distal zone of the oviduct, the
vagina, nitrergic and VIP-positive nerve fibres were widely diffused
in the circular muscle, which was particularly thick in this segment.
The source of at least a part of such fibres was probably represented
by large nerve cell bodies scattered in the layer and containing NO an
d VIP colocalized. Functionally these cells retained inhibitory motor
neurons causing relaxation of the vaginal smooth muscle.