A STUDY ON THE INNERVATION AND NEUROTRANSMITTERS LOCALIZATION IN THE RAT VAS DEFERENS / 解剖学报

ABSTRACT

In this study gloxylic acid-induced fluorescent histochemical method was usedto reveal the innervation of adrenergic nerves,acetycholinesterase (AChE) methodto show the cholinergic nerves,and the immunohistochemical method to display thevasoactive intestinal peptide (VIP) and neuropeptide Y (NPY) immunoreactivenerves.This observation on the vas deferens showed that the VIP-immunoreactivenerves had the same distribution as the cholinergic nerves,and mainly existed inlamina propria,while NPY-immunoreactive nerves had the same distribution asadrenergic nerves and mainly existed in the muscular layer.One group of animalswas treated by intraperitoneal injections of 6-OHDA on the lst,2nd,6th and 7thday,and killed on the 8th day.Following treatment with 6-OHDA,significantevanescence of most adrenergic nerves was observed.NPY-immunoreactive nervesreduced remarkably and the extent of the decrease was similiar to that of adrenergicnerves,whereas no change was observed on the VIP and cholinergic nerves.Theimmunoelectronic microscopy (PAP pre-embedding method) demonstrated that VIPimmunoreactive complex deposited in the varicosity containing small clear vesicles(diameter of 40-55nm).Some varicosities also contained small number of largegranular vesicles with the diameter of 100-144mm.NPY immunoreactive complexdeposited in the large granular vesicles,and occasionally can be observed in thesmall granular vesicles,40-55nm in diameter.The results from this study suggestthat VIP probably co-exist with ACh and NPY with noradrenalin in rat vasdeferens.