title: Vasoactive intestinal peptide-like immunoreactive nerve fibers in the pineal gland of the sheep.
abstract: Vasoactive intestinal peptide (VIP)-like immunoreactive nerve fibers were demonstrated by peroxidase antiperoxidase (PAP) immunohistochemistry to be distributed throughout the entire pineal gland of the sheep. VIP-containing fibers were observed along the blood vessels, penetrating into the gland from the pial capsule and also in the capsule itself. Some fibers left the perivascular position and entered the pineal parenchyma, where they were located among pinealocytes. This suggested that the VIPergic fibers might influence both pinealocytes and blood vessels of the gland. The location of VIP-containing fibers in the capsule of the pineal gland indicates that the fibers originate from perikarya located in a peripheral ganglion.
authors.affiliation: Institute of Anatomy of Domestic Animals, University of Milan, Italy.
authors.forename: B
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Cozzi
authors.forename: J D
authors.initials: JD
authors.lastname: Mikkelsen
authors.forename: D
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Merati
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Capsoni
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Møller
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D005260:Female; D007150:Immunohistochemistry; D009412:Nerve Fibers / Q000032:analysis*; D010870:Pineal Gland / Q000032:analysis* / Q000166:cytology; D012756:Sheep; D014660:Vasoactive Intestinal Peptide / Q000032:analysis*
chemical_list: D014660:Vasoactive Intestinal Peptide