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Adrenergic nerves in the female genital tract of the rabbit. With remarks on cholinesterase-containing structures

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Summary

  1. 1.

    The construction of the peripheral adrenergic innervation apparatus and the distribution of certain monoamine-containing cells in the entire female genital tract of the rabbit was studied with a histochemical fluorescence method. Using the thiocholine method the presence of cholinesterase-containing structures was also investigated.

  2. 2.

    The adrenergic nerves formed characteristic plexus, which supplied on one hand the smooth muscle coat of the various organs and on the other hand parts of the vascular system.

  3. 3.

    The most abundant adrenergic muscular innervation was found in the vagina. In the uterus the innervation was less prominent and mainly confined to the outer muscular layer. The amount of muscular nerves varied characteristically along the Fallopian tube (oviduct): The innervation was richest in the isthmus, especially at the junction to the ampulla. Only scattered adrenergic muscular nerves were present in the actual ampulla.

  4. 4.

    Besides the vascular innervation, the ovary contained a small number of adrenergic nerve terminals, which ran contiguous to follicles and without any obvious relation to vessels.

  5. 5.

    Fluorimetric determinations of catecholamines in the various organs revealed measurable levels only of noradrenaline; hence the adrenergic nerves described are most probably nor-adrenergic.

  6. 6.

    Adrenergic ganglion formations could be localized to the middle portion of the vagina; the significance of these neurons is discussed.

    The vaginal muscular wall contained small scattered cells storing large amounts of catecholamines (“chromaffin cells”).

    The presence of a special type of 5-hydroxytryptamine-containing cells in the vestibular epithelium of the vagina could be confirmed.

  7. 7.

    Specific cholinesterase activity was found in nerves in the uterus, the vagina, and to a very slight extent also in the isthmic part of the oviduct. Non-specific cholinesterase activity occurred in nerve fibres in numbers exceeding those containing specific cholinesterase, especially in the isthmic part of the tube. Non-specific cholinesterase was also distributed diffusely in the smooth muscles of the various organs.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Institute of Anatomy and Histology, Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology at Malmö, University of Lund, Lund, Sweden

    Christer Owman &  Nils-Otto Sjöberg

  2. Kvinnokliniken, Malmö Allmänna Sjukhus, Malmö, (Sweden)

    Nils-Otto Sjöberg

Authors
  1. Christer Owman
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  2. Nils-Otto Sjöberg
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Additional information

This work was supported by grants from the Swedish Medical Research Council (project No 12 X-712-01) and the Medical Faculty at the University of Lund.

Clinical Research Fellow, the Swedish Medical Research Council (grant No 61 P-804-01).

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Owman, C., Sjöberg, NO. Adrenergic nerves in the female genital tract of the rabbit. With remarks on cholinesterase-containing structures. Z. Zellforsch 74, 182–197 (1966). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00399655

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