AFFERENT AND EFFERENT INNERVATION OF THE PORCINE OVARY - SOURCES OF ORIGIN AND CHEMICAL CODING

摘要

Double-immunofluorescence combined with elution and retrograde neuronal tracing was applied to elucidate the origin and chemical coding of nerye fibres supplying the ovary in the domestic pig (Polish Large white race) as well as the ability of sympathetic ovarian CaMG neurons to change their chemical phenotype ("plasticity") after the injury (transection) of their peripheral processes. Thirty six juvenile animals, divided into two experimental groups (group I, n=24 and group II, n=12) were used in the course of the study. The animals of group I were used to establish the sources of origin as well as chemical coding of the ovarian nerve fibres, while the animals of group II were used to study the "potential of plasticity" of the CaMG sympathocytes.The obtained data clearly indicate that the porcine ovary receives its nerve supply from different sources, representing either the autonomie (sympathetic - CaMG, OG, AR-G, SChG from Th_(14) to L_4 and S_1, cranial part of the PCG, parasympathetic - cranial part of the PCG) or sensory component (DRG from Th_(10) to L_3) of the peripheral nervous system. It has been found that the chemical coding of ovarian neurons varies depending on their source of origin: the vast majority of sympathetic neurons contain TH/DβH and/or NPY, while the parasympathetic perikarya contain various combinations of ChAT, NOS, VIP, NPY, SOM and/or LENK. Afferent ovarian neurons contain different combinations of SP, CGRP, GAL, NOS and/or ChAT. Transection of the peripheral processes of ovarian CaMG neurons evokes a dramatic decrease in the number of TH-IR neurons and a distinct increase in the number of GAL-, NPY- and/or SOM-IR perikarya; however, it has no visible effect on the number of VIP-IR neurons. The obtained results are discussed considering the available data, collected by other authors.