title: The influence of pregnancy and gender on perivascular innervation of rat posterior cerebral arteries.
abstract: The authors investigated the influence of pregnancy and gender on the density of trigeminal and sympathetic perivascular nerves in posterior cerebral arteries (PCA) and the reactivity to norepinephrine and calcitonin gene-related peptide (CGRP). PCAs were isolated from nonpregnant, late-pregnant, postpartum, and male rats, mounted and pressurized on an arteriograph chamber to obtain concentration-response curves to norepinephrine and CGRP. Arteries were immunostained for CGRP-, tyrosine hydroxylase-, and protein gene product 9.5 (PGP 9.5)-containing perivascular nerves, and nerve density was determined morphologically. Pregnancy had a trophic effect on trigeminal perivascular innervation (P < .01 vs male); however, this was not accompanied by a change in reactivity to CGRP. Sympathetic and PGP 9.5 nerve densities were not altered by pregnancy or gender, and there were no differences in reactivity to norepinephrine. Together, these results suggest that the increase in trigeminal innervation during pregnancy is more related to nociception than in controlling resting cerebral blood flow.
authors.affiliation: University of Vermont, Department of Neurology, Burlington, VT 05405, USA.
authors.forename: Annet M
authors.initials: AM
authors.lastname: Aukes
authors.forename: Nicole
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Bishop
authors.forename: Julie
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Godfrey
authors.forename: Marilyn J
authors.initials: MJ
authors.lastname: Cipolla
mesh_terms: D000704:Analysis of Variance; D000792:Angiography / Q000379:methods; D000818:Animals; D015740:Calcitonin Gene-Related Peptide / Q000378:metabolism / Q000494:pharmacology; D004305:Dose-Response Relationship, Drug; D005260:Female; D007150:Immunohistochemistry; D008297:Male; D018715:Microscopy, Video; D009412:Nerve Fibers / Q000378:metabolism*; D009638:Norepinephrine / Q000494:pharmacology; D020769:Posterior Cerebral Artery / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000187:drug effects / Q000294:innervation* / Q000502:physiology; D049590:Postpartum Period / Q000502:physiology*; D011247:Pregnancy; D011270:Pregnancy, Animal / Q000502:physiology*; D051381:Rats; D017207:Rats, Sprague-Dawley; D012737:Sex Factors; D014276:Trigeminal Nerve / Q000033:anatomy & histology* / Q000254:growth & development / Q000378:metabolism; D014446:Tyrosine 3-Monooxygenase / Q000378:metabolism; D043222:Ubiquitin Thiolesterase / Q000378:metabolism; D014662:Vasoconstrictor Agents / Q000494:pharmacology; D014665:Vasodilator Agents / Q000494:pharmacology; D014666:Vasomotor System / Q000033:anatomy & histology* / Q000254:growth & development / Q000378:metabolism
chemical_list: D014662:Vasoconstrictor Agents; D014665:Vasodilator Agents; D014446:Tyrosine 3-Monooxygenase; C489034:UCHL1 protein, rat; D043222:Ubiquitin Thiolesterase; D015740:Calcitonin Gene-Related Peptide; D009638:Norepinephrine