B. Walles

Origin and distribution of VIP (Vasoactive Intestinal Polypeptide)-nerves in the genito-urinary tract

SummaryVIP (Vasoactive Intestinal Polypeptide)-immunoreactive nerves were found throughout the genito-urinary tract of the cat; they were less numerous in the guinea pig and in the rat. In the cat, VIP nerves were particularly numerous in the neck of the urinary bladder and proximal urethra, in the uterine cervix and in the prostate gland. The nerves were found in smooth muscle, around blood vessels and in the connective tissue immediately beneath the epithelium. Ganglia were found below the trigonum area of the bladder, in the wall of the proximal urethra, and in paracervical tissue. VIP-immunoreactive nerve cell bodies occurred in all these ganglionic formations. These ganglia probably represent the origin of the VIP nerves of the genital tract since their removal in the female cat greatly reduced the VIP nerve supply. Transection of the hypogastric nerves had no overt effect. Transection of the cervix eliminated the VIP nerves above the level of the lesion, except those in the ovaries, supporting the view that the VIP nerves of the uterus and the oviduct are derived from a paracervical source.

Comparative study of the autonomic innervation of the mammalian ovary, with particular regard to the follicular system

SummaryThe autonomic innervation of the ovary was studied in 12 mammalian species utilizing the cholinesterase method in combination with pseudocholinesterase inhibition for the cholinergic component, and glyoxylic acid histochemistry together with fluorometric determination of noradrenaline for the adrenergic component. Ovaries from cow, sheep, cat, and guinea pig were very richly supplied with adrenergic nerves in the cortical stroma, particularly enclosing follicles in various stages of development. In the follicular wall the nerve terminals were located in the theca externa, where they ran parallel to the follicular surface. Numerous adrenergic terminals also surrounded ovarian blood vessels. The adrenergic innervation was of intermediary density in the human ovary and in the pig, dog, cat, and opossum. Ovaries from rabbit, mouse and hamster had a sparse adrenergic nerve supply. The amount of intraovarian adrenergic nerves agreed well with the tissue concentration of noradrenaline in the various species. The cholinergic innervation was generally less well developed, but had the same distribution as the adrenergic system around blood vessels and in the ovarian stroma, including follicular walls.

Existence and coexistence of peptides in nerves of the mammalian ovary and oviduct demonstrated by immunocytochemistry

SummaryThe immunocytochemical distribution of substance P (SP), gastrin releasing peptide (GRP), vasoactive intestinal polypeptide (VIP), peptide histidine isoleucine (PHI), and neuropeptide Y (NPY) was studied in the ovary and the Fallopian tube (oviduct) of rats, guinea-pigs, cows, pigs and humans. Generally, the nerve supply was better developed in the oviduct than in the ovary. GRP fibers were most scarce in all tissues. Nerves containing SP were particularly numerous in the oviduct of rat and guinea-pig, supplying the muscular wall and blood vessels. VIP and PHI coexisted in dense plexuses of nerves, not only around blood vessels but also in the follicular wall and the interstitial gland of the ovary, as well as within the smooth muscle layers and subepithelially in the oviduct. The general distribution of NPY was similar, but these immunoreactive nerves were even more numerous. Sequential staining for dopamine-β-hydroxylase and NPY together with results of chemical sympathectomy with 6-hydroxydopamine suggested that NPY was stored in the noradrenergic sympathetic nerves.

Ultrastructural Evidence for Adrenergic Innervation of the Interstitial Gland in the Guinea Pig Ovary

Fluorescence microscopy has shown that the guinea pig ovary contains not only vasomotor adrenergic nerves but also many nerve terminals running within endocrine structures. Electron microscopy of the interstitial gland confirmed the presence of adrenergic nerves distinguished by administration of the false transmitter, 5-hydroxydropamine. Axon varicosities, denuded of their Schwann cell ensheathing, innervated the endocrine cells in the interstitial gland, with a synaptic distance of approximately 400 A. This suggests that the interstitial gland participates in a neuroendocrine transducer mechanism.

Shoulder dystocia and brachial plexus injury: a case–control study

Objective and background. To evaluate risk factors for shoulder dystocia and brachial plexus injury using a case–control study at the departments of obstetrics and gynecology at the four largest hospitals in southern Sweden. All cases of shoulder dystocia between 1987 and 1993 inclusive were identified. For each case, two control infants with similar birthweight (± 100 g) and identical year of birth were randomly selected.

The effect of adrenergic agents on the ovulatory process in the in vitro perfused rabbit ovary

Abstract The presence of adrenergic nerves and smooth muscle in the mammalian ovary has prompted an investigation of the role of this neuromuscular complex in the ovulatory process. The in vitro perfused rabbit ovary preparation was used to study the effects of adrenergic agents on ovulation. Ovaries were exposed to norepinephrine (NE) at four dose levels (6 × 10 −6 M, 10 −7 M, 10 −8 M, and 10 −9 M). Ovulation occurred in a dose-dependent fashion with 10 −6 M NE resulting in the greatest ovulatory efficiency (64.7%). Addition of NE to ovaries treated with the minimal effective dose of human chorionic gonadotropin (hCG) (5 IU) led to an increase (59.9%) in ovulatory efficiency when compared to that of the ovaries treated with hCG alone (25.9%) but was not associated with an increase when compared to that of the ovaries treated with NE alone at the same dose level. Phenoxybenzamine (PBZ), an irreversible α-receptor antagonist, or phentolamine (POA), a competitive α-adrenergic inhibitor, was added to perfused ovaries to determine if either agent could block hCG- or NE-induced ovulation. Neither PBZ (10 −6 M) nor POA (10 −5 M) had any effect on NE (10 −8 M)-induced ovulation. The addition to the perfusate of either PBZ or POA significantly reduced ovulatory efficiency associated with hCG stimulation (p

Maternal health care program and markers for late fetal death

Objective. To identify markers for late fetal death, a multicenter study was performed, based on routinely obtained data from maternal health care units.

Histochemistry and ultrastructure of adrenergic and acetylcholinesterase-containing nerves supplying follicles and endocrine cells in the guinea-pig ovary.

SummaryThe autonomic nerve supply of the guinea-pig ovary was investigated by a combination of light-and electron microscopy. At the light-microscopic level, adrenergic fibres were identified due to their formaldehyde-induced fluorescence. In addition, the ovary contained acetylcholinesterase-positive fibres. In all parts of the ovary, the adrenergic fibres were most numerous. At the ultrastructural level it was possible to identify the adrenergic nerve terminals with the aid of the false adrenergic transmitter, 5-hydroxydopamine. Thus, large numbers of adrenergic terminals, characterized by their content of 50–60 nm, electron-dense synaptic vesicles, were seen within the interstitial gland, where they formed close contacts with the endocrine cells (membrane-to-membrane distance, 20–100 nm). The follicular theca externa was also richly supplied by adrenergic nerves. At this location, close contacts (50–100 nm) were identified between the nerve terminals and the smooth muscle-like cells. Very few adrenergic nerve fibres were present in the theca interna of follicles or in the corpus luteum. Non-adrenergic nerve terminals, characterized by electronlucent synaptic vesicles of 50–60 nm diameter, were observed together with the adrenergic fibres. They were always present in much lower numbers than the latter. No “p-type” nerves were identified by electron microscopy.

Relaxation of human female genital sphincters by the neuropeptide vasoactive intestinal polypeptide

Vasoactive intestinal polypeptide (VIP), a recently recognized neuropeptide with a putative transmitter function, has been demonstrated in nerves in the female genital tract. The highest density is in the smooth, muscle of the isthmus of the fallopian tubes and of the uterine cervix. The motor effect of VIP has been tested in vitro of smooth muscle from the isthmus and the uterine cervix. Both preparations responded to VIP with a concentration-dependent reduction in motor activity.

Evidence for prejunctional GABAB receptors mediating inhibition of ovarian follicle contraction induced by nerve stimulation

The motor effects of gamma-aminobutyric acid (GABA) on the bovine ovarian follicle were studied in vitro using strips from follicle walls. Electrical field stimulation of nerves in the preparation, secured by tetrodotoxin blockade, caused a contraction that was almost totally abolished by phentolamine and only slightly affected by atropine. This mainly adrenergic neurogenic response was inhibited by GABA in a dose-dependent way. The GABAA-receptor antagonists, bicuculline and picrotoxin, did not affect the GABA action whereas the GABAB-receptor antagonist, homotaurine, significantly inhibited the GABA effect. The GABAA-receptor agonist, muscimol, did not affect the contractile response while the GABAB-receptor agonist, baclofen, imitated the action of GABA. On the other hand, GABA had no direct contractile or relaxing effect on the follicle strips nor did it interfere with the contractile response induced by noradrenaline or acetylcholine. The findings suggest that activation of prejunctional GABAB receptors inhibits transmitter release from mainly adrenergic nerves associated with the follicle, thereby affecting nerve-mediated tension in the follicle wall.