title: Composition of the pelvic nerve.
abstract: Surgical interruption of the pelvic nerve elevated immunoreactive vasoactive intestinal polypeptide in the major pelvic ganglion of the rat. Two changes were noted: (i) varicose and smooth fibers appeared in the neuropil and (ii) a small number of ganglion cells became highly reactive for the polypeptide. A more proximal transection of preganglionic parasympathetic fibers, at their origin from spinal nerves, had no effect on vasoactive intestinal polypeptide immunoreactivity. Ganglion cells were labeled when a dye was applied to the cut distal end of the pelvic nerve. We conclude that a population of vasoactive intestinal polypeptide-containing neurons in the major pelvic ganglion send their axons proximally in the pelvic nerve.
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D008297:Male; D010388:Pelvis / Q000294:innervation*; D051381:Rats; D011919:Rats, Inbred Strains; D014660:Vasoactive Intestinal Peptide / Q000032:analysis*
chemical_list: D014660:Vasoactive Intestinal Peptide