title: The human penis: an unusual penetration of NPY-immunoreactive nerves within the medial muscle coat of the deep dorsal vein.
abstract: The deep dorsal penile vein was obtained from seven patients undergoing surgery for erectile dysfunction. The veins were studied histologically and immunohistochemically for serotonin, dopamine beta-hydroxylase, vasoactive intestinal polypeptide, neuropeptide Y, substance P, calcitonin gene-related peptide, somatostatin, and [Leu]- and [Met]enkephalin. Histologically, the deep dorsal vein was found to be a large muscular vein with a thin endothelial lining. The tunica media was composed of an inner longitudinally and an outer circularly arranged smooth muscle layer. Numerous vasa vasorum (up to 30 in a single transverse section) were found in the tunica adventitia. The greatest density of nerves supplying the deep dorsal vein and vasa vasorum were neuropeptide Y-immunoreactive nerves followed (in a decreasing order) by vasoactive intestinal polypeptide- and dopamine beta-hydroxylase-immunoreactive nerves. Substance P-, calcitonin gene-related peptide- and somatostatin-immunoreactive nerves, but not serotonin-, [Leu]- and [Met]enkephalin-immunoreactive nerves, were occasionally found around the deep dorsal vein. All these nerve fibers were confined to the adventitial-medial border except neuropeptide Y-immunoreactive nerves which in addition penetrated the tunica media to the subendothelial layer of the deep dorsal vein. In contrast, neuropeptide Y-immunoreactive nerves supplying the vasa vasorum were always confined to the adventitial-medial border. The possible function of the medial innervation of the deep dorsal vein by neuropeptide Y-immunoreactive nerves is discussed.
authors.affiliation: Department of Anatomy and Development Biology, University College London, England.
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Crowe
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Burnstock
authors.forename: I K
authors.initials: IK
authors.lastname: Dickinson
authors.forename: J P
authors.initials: JP
authors.lastname: Pryor
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D004299:Dopamine beta-Hydroxylase / Q000032:analysis; D007172:Erectile Dysfunction / Q000503:physiopathology; D006801:Humans; D007150:Immunohistochemistry; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009478:Neuropeptide Y / Q000032:analysis*; D009479:Neuropeptides / Q000032:analysis; D010410:Penile Erection / Q000502:physiology; D010413:Penis / Q000098:blood supply* / Q000294:innervation; D012701:Serotonin / Q000032:analysis; D014660:Vasoactive Intestinal Peptide / Q000032:analysis; D014680:Veins / Q000294:innervation* / Q000473:pathology
chemical_list: D009478:Neuropeptide Y; D009479:Neuropeptides; D012701:Serotonin; D014660:Vasoactive Intestinal Peptide; D004299:Dopamine beta-Hydroxylase