NEURAL PLASTICITY IN PELVIC VISCERAL TISSUES

有充分的理由相信，充分考虑到 神经系统损伤后的并发症应包括 突触重组，除了特定神经元的丢失之外， 元素 突触可塑性可能发生在不同的水平，在神经 对于内脏组织，如阴茎， 中枢神经系统、自主神经节和外周靶组织。 在自主神经节重组的刺激可能特别 充满活力，也许沉默或至少影响了变化的过程， 其他层面。 通过记录骨盆的特定塑料变化， 自主神经通路，拟议的研究是第一次尝试定义 损伤后盆腔神经丛的环境。 具体而言是 阴茎副交感神经元的突触学改变将被跟踪 在它们与脊髓部分或全部断开之后。 这些 研究对脊髓骶骨部分的损伤进行建模，包括 以脊髓圆锥和尾部的直接创伤为代表 马或条件，如脊柱裂。 建议：（1） 使用定量电子显微镜来描述突触学 切断节前神经后的节后阴茎神经元 神经，（2）采用组织化学和免疫组织化学， 神经递质/神经调质，以确定阴茎神经元 重新获取突触前纤维的特定子集，（3）分析突触前纤维的 树突和轴突对神经支配的贡献 分散的阴茎神经元的微管相关染色 蛋白（MAP-2）和生长相关蛋白（GAP-43），（4）分析 盆神经节损伤后神经回路的变化 用c-fos免疫反应作为代谢标志物，（5）确定 无论是腹下神经引起的勃起，神经损伤后明显， 是由一氧化氮介导的，（6）以确定是否损伤后， 阴茎海绵体的神经支配也会发生可塑性变化 在阴茎的另一个勃起体海绵体中 这些 研究应该揭示有序排列的 神经损伤改变了节前和节后连接。 这 知识是理解控制扰动的核心， 内脏器官和策略的应用，以改善功能。

There is sufficient reason to believe that the full consideration of complications following injury of the nervous system should include synaptic reorganization, in addition to the loss of specific neural elements. Synaptic plasticity may occur at varied levels in the neural pathways, which for visceral tissues such as the penis, include the central nervous system, autonomic ganglia and peripheral target tissues. Stimuli for reorganization in autonomic ganglia may be especially vigorous, perhaps muting or at least influencing the course of change at other levels. By documenting specific plastic changes in pelvic autonomic pathways, the proposed studies are the first attempt to define the milieu in the pelvic plexus subsequent to injury. Specifically, the changing synaptology of penile parasympathetic neurons will be followed after their partial or total disconnection from the spinal cord. These studies model injury to the sacral portion of the spinal cord, including that represented by direct trauma to the conus medullaris and cauda equina or by conditions such as spina bifida. It is proposed to: (1) use quantitative electron microscopy to describe the synaptology of postganglionic penile neurons following interruption of preganglionic nerves, (2) employ histochemistry and immunohistochemistry for neurotransmitters/neuromodulators to determine whether penile neurons reacquire a specific subset of presynaptic fibers, (3) analyze the contribution of dendrites and axons to the emergent innervation of decentralized penile neurons by staining for microtubular associated protein (MAP-2) and growth associated protein (GAP-43), (4) analyze changes in the neural circuitry in pelvic ganglia following nerve lesions by using c-fos immunoreactivity as a metabolic marker, (5) to determine whether hypogastric nerve-induced erection, apparent after nerve lesions, is mediated by nitric oxide, (6) to determine whether the post-lesion, plastic changes in the innervation of the corpus cavernosum also occurs in the other erectile body of the penis, the corpus spongiosum. These studies should unravel the degree to which the ordered arrangement of pre- and postganglionic connections is altered by nerve injury. This knowledge is central to understanding perturbations in control of visceral organs and the application of strategies to improve function.