INNERVATION OF PENILE ERECTILE TISSUE

这项研究是我们以前研究的延伸， 已经确定了神经解剖学和神经组织化学特征 阴茎勃起组织的神经支配 利用组织化学， 免疫组化、染色示踪方法和病变范例 阴茎的自主神经支配已经产生。 有证据表明乙酰胆碱和血管活性物质 肠多肽在血管扩张神经的阴茎。 的 血管扩张通路在解剖学上与血管扩张通路完全不同。 血管收缩通路，位于交感神经链。 的 存在一个替代的神经通路到阴茎，通过 腹下神经，已被记录。 据信这 一种新描述的途径参与阴茎勃起， 在损伤的情况下替代主要的血管扩张途径 到脊髓末端 由于对确切物质的分歧很大， 阴茎血管扩张神经释放的，目前的研究将 重点研究乙酰胆碱和血管活性肠的能力 本发明提供了一种多肽以实现阴茎平滑肌松弛。 更 具体而言，将测试这两种物质的能力， 松弛收缩的海绵状组织平滑肌条， 体外制剂和影响电刺激 阴茎平滑肌松弛。 的发现 骶上路径，通过腹下神经行进， 骨盆阴茎神经元提供了一个独特的机会来研究可能的 脊髓损伤后内脏神经支配的可塑性变化 损伤 我们将调查是否有代偿性变化 神经损伤后的阴茎神经支配。 一个假设是 骨盆神经中断后， 模拟了脊髓末端的创伤， 腹下神经中的血管扩张通路将补偿 主要血管扩张通路的丧失。 所以我们的 药理学研究将有助于了解 假定的神经传递物质与阴茎光滑 肌肉. 勃起组织双血管舒张通路的研究 可能有助于澄清和估计对生殖能力的影响 骶骨脊髓损伤的迹象

The proposed research is an extension of our previous studies which have defined the neuroanatomical and neurohistochemical features of the innervation of penile erectile tissue. Using histochemical, immunohistochemical, dye tracing methods and lesion paradigms a map of the autonomic innervation of the penis has been generated. Evidence points to a coexistence of acetylcholine and vasoactive intestinal polypeptide in vasodilator nerves to the penis. The vasodilator pathway is quite separate anatomically from the vasoconstrictor pathway, located in the sympathetic chain. The existance of an alternate nerve pathway to the penis, via the hypogastric nerve, has been documented. It is believed that this newly described pathway participates in penile erection and may substitute for the major vasodilator pathway in instances of injury to the terminal spinal cord. Since there is considerable disagreement of the exact substances released by penile vasodilator nerves, the present studies will focus on the ability of acetylcholine and vasoactive intestinal polypeptide to effect relaxation of penile smooth muscle. More specifically, both substances will be tested for their ability to relax contracted smooth muscel strips of cavernous tissue in in vitro preparations and to affect electrically stimulated relaxations of penile smooth muscle. The discovery of a suprasacral pathway which travels via the hypogastric nerve to pelvic penile neurons offers a unique opportunity to study possible plastic changes in visceral innervation following spinal cord injury. We will investigate whether there are compensatory changes in penile innervation following nerve injury. One hypothesis is that after interrruption of the pelvic nerve, an injury which models trauma to the terminal spinal cord, the ancillary penile vasodilator pathway in the hypogastric nerve will compensate for the loss of the main vasodilator pathway. Therefore, our pharmacological studies will bbe useful in understanding how putative neurothransmitter substances interact with penile smooth muscle. Study of the dual vasodilator pathways to erectile tissue may help clarify and estimate the effect on reproductive potency of an injury to the sacral spinal cord.