Nerve growth factor treatment of adult rats selectively enhances innervation of urinogenital tract rather than vascular smooth muscle.
Following treatment of adult rats with nerve growth factor (0.5 mg/rat, three times a week for 3 weeks), the innervation of cardiovascular and urinogenital tract smooth muscle was investigated using immunoassay and immunohistochemical techniques. Substance P and calcitonin gene-related peptide levels were increased in the vas deferens, but not in the atria or femoral artery. Neuropeptide Y and vasoactive intestinal polypeptide levels were unchanged. In penile tissues, there was a marked increase in the density of substance P-, calcitonin gene-related peptide-, neuropeptide Y-, tyrosine hydroxylase- and vasoactive intestinal polypeptide-containing nerves innervating the urethra and in SP-containing nerves in the tunica with little changes in the innervation of the deep dorsal vein and artery and corpus cavernosum. In the bladder, there was increased innervation of the detrusor by neuropeptide Y- and vasoactive intestinal polypeptide-containing nerves, but a decrease in innervation by substance P-containing nerves in the trigone. There were no changes in the density of innervation of the femoral artery after nerve growth factor treatment. Thus, in the mature rat, sensory and sympathetic nerve innervating urinogenital tract smooth muscle appear to be more responsive to exogenous nerve growth factor than those innervating cardiovascular smooth muscle. This may reflect an ongoing requirement of plasticity of innervation in the urinogenital tract of the sexually mature animal.
D000818:Animals; D007150:Immunohistochemistry; D008297:Male; D009130:Muscle, Smooth / Q000187:drug effects / Q000294:innervation* / Q000378:metabolism; D009131:Muscle, Smooth, Vascular / Q000187:drug effects / Q000294:innervation* / Q000378:metabolism; D009414:Nerve Growth Factors / Q000494:pharmacology*; D009479:Neuropeptides / Q000378:metabolism; D051381:Rats; D017208:Rats, Wistar; D014566:Urogenital System / Q000187:drug effects / Q000294:innervation* / Q000378:metabolism
D009414:Nerve Growth Factors; D009479:Neuropeptides