title: Anatomical organization and neural pathways of the ovarian plexus nerve in rats.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  In this work, a detailed anatomical description of the ovarian plexus nerve (OPN) in rats is presented. The distribution of the OPN was analyzed by gross anatomy; the features of the superior mesenteric ganglion (SMG) were determined by histological studies; and the localization of the postganglionic neurons innervating the ovary were identified with retrograde tracer. We studied 19 adult cyclic rats of the CIIZ-V strain.
  
  
  RESULTS
  We found that the right OPN originates from the celiac ganglion, the lumbar ganglion of the sympathetic trunk (LGST) and the SMG. The left OPN originates from the LGST and the anastomotic branch from the splanchnic nerve. The SMG was attached to the inferior vena cava containing sympathetic neurons that innervate the right ovary through the OPN, and which is anatomically single. When the tracer was injected into the right ovary, only the SMG showed positive neurons, while when the tracer was injected into the left ovary, labeled postganglionic neurons were observed in the LGST.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  This is the first time that it is reported that the SMG is attached to the inferior vena cava and it is directly related to the right ovary. The neural pathways and sympathetic ganglia involved in the communication between the ovaries and the preganglionic neurons are different in the left and right side.
authors.affiliation: Facultad de Medicina Veterinaria y Zootecnia, Benemérita Universidad Autónoma de Puebla, Puebla, Mexico.
authors.forename: César F
authors.initials: CF
authors.lastname: Pastelín
authors.affiliation: Centro de Química, Instituto de Ciencias, Benemérita Universidad Autónoma de Puebla, Puebla, Mexico.
authors.forename: Nora H
authors.initials: NH
authors.lastname: Rosas
authors.affiliation: Unidad de Investigación en Biología de la Reproducción, FES Zaragoza, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, Ciudad de México, México.
authors.forename: Leticia
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Morales-Ledesma
authors.affiliation: Unidad de Investigación en Biología de la Reproducción, FES Zaragoza, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, Ciudad de México, México.
authors.forename: Rosa
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Linares
authors.affiliation: Unidad de Investigación en Biología de la Reproducción, FES Zaragoza, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, Ciudad de México, México.
authors.forename: Roberto
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Domínguez
authors.affiliation: Departamento de Biología y Toxicología de la Reproducción, Instituto de Ciencias, Benemérita Universidad Autónoma de Puebla, Puebla, México. carolina.moran@correo.buap.mx.
authors.forename: Carolina
authors.identifier: http://orcid.org/0000-0002-2023-2242
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Morán
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D005260:Female; D005728:Ganglia, Sympathetic / Q000033:anatomy & histology; D006179:Gyrus Cinguli / Q000033:anatomy & histology*; D008160:Lumbosacral Plexus / Q000033:anatomy & histology; D009434:Neural Pathways; D010053:Ovary / Q000294:innervation*; D051381:Rats
keywords: Neural pathways; Ovarian plexus nerve; Ovary; Prevertebral ganglia