An immunohistochemical survey of peptide-containing nerves in the copulatory apparatus of several male birds.
Distribution of peptide-containing nerves in male copulatory apparatus as well as rectal and cloacal ganglia were examined immunohistochemically in cock, guinea fowl, duck and muscovy duck. Neurofilament protein-immunoreactive nerves were also examined to investigate general distribution of nerves. Substance P (SP)-, vasoactive intestinal polypeptide (VIP)-, calcitonin gene-related peptide (CGRP)-, and neuropeptide Y (NPY)-immunoreactive (IR) nerves were detected in all four species of birds whereas leucine enkephalin (LENK)-IR nerves were detected only in duck and muscovy duck. In the rectal and cloacal ganglia, peptide-IR nerves were detected in varying degrees of abundance. Most noticeable distribution was found in the vascular body, where SP-IR nerve fibres were more abundant in duck and muscovy duck, VIP-IR fibres in muscovy duck and CGRP-IR fibres in duck, than in other regions and other species, respectively. A few peptide-IR nerve fibres were detected in other cloacal regions, although a peculiar pattern in distribution unique to a certain region could be not found. The present results suggest that the peptide-containing nerves participate in the regulation of tumescence, erection and detumescence of male copulatory apparatus of birds and their regulatory mechanisms are different depending on the species.
Kitamura
N
N
Department of Veterinary Anatomy, Obihiro University of Agriculture and Veterinary Medicine, Japan.
Yamada
J
J
Hayashi
Y
Y
Nishida
T
T
D000818:Animals; D001717:Birds / Q000033:anatomy & histology*; D015740:Calcitonin Gene-Related Peptide / Q000032:analysis; D002645:Chickens; D004372:Ducks; D004743:Enkephalin, Leucine / Q000032:analysis; D007150:Immunohistochemistry; D008297:Male; D009412:Nerve Fibers / Q000737:chemistry*; D016900:Neurofilament Proteins / Q000032:analysis; D009478:Neuropeptide Y / Q000032:analysis; D009479:Neuropeptides / Q000032:analysis*; D010413:Penis / Q000737:chemistry / Q000294:innervation*; D013373:Substance P / Q000032:analysis; D014660:Vasoactive Intestinal Peptide / Q000032:analysis
D016900:Neurofilament Proteins; D009478:Neuropeptide Y; D009479:Neuropeptides; D013373:Substance P; D014660:Vasoactive Intestinal Peptide; D004743:Enkephalin, Leucine; D015740:Calcitonin Gene-Related Peptide