Double labelling immunohistochemistry on the peripheral autonomic neurons projecting to the bulbospongiosus muscle in male impuberal pigs

摘要

The functional involvement of striated permeal muscles (bulbospongiosus, external anal sphincter, ischiocavernosus and external urethral sphincter) in the activity of urogenital and digestive organs, has required definition of the central and peripheral sites of their neurons. Preliminary observations (Botti et al., 2001), carried out using the retrograde neuronal tracer Fast Blue (FB), have documented the central and peripheral site of the motor and sensitive neurons projecting to the bulbospongiosus muscle (BSM) in the swine species. It has been documented that the somatic motor nucleus is located ipsilaterally (S1-S2) in a dorsolateral area with respect to the central canal. The peripheral autonomic neurons projecting to the blood vessels of the BSM are located bilaterally in the lumbosacral ganglia (L2-S4) of the sympathetic chain and in the caudal mesenteric ganglion, while the primary sensitive neurons are located bilaterally in the sacral spinal ganglia (S1-S3). The purpose of this research is to define, using double immunofluorescence labelling, the neurochemical characteristics of some peripheral autonomic neurons projecting to the BSM.