INNERVATION OF PENILE ERECTILE TISSUE

这项拟议的研究是我们之前研究的延伸 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。利用组织化学技术， 免疫组织化学、染色示踪法和病变范例图 已经产生了阴茎的自主神经支配。 有证据表明乙酰胆碱和血管活性物质共存 肠多肽位于阴茎的血管扩张神经中。这个 血管扩张剂途径在解剖学上与 血管收缩通路，位于交感神经链中。这个 存在一条通往阴茎的替代神经通路，通过 腹下神经，已被记录在案。据信，这一点 新描述的途径参与阴茎勃起，并可能 在受伤情况下替代主要血管扩张剂途径 连接到终末脊髓。 因为对确切的物质有很大的分歧 由阴茎血管扩张神经释放，目前的研究将 关注乙酰胆碱和血管活性肠管的能力 多肽对阴茎平滑肌的松弛作用。更多 具体地说，这两种物质都将接受测试，以确定它们是否具有 松弛收缩的海绵状组织肌条 体外制剂及对电刺激的影响 阴茎平滑肌松弛。发现了一种 骶上通路，通过腹下神经到达 盆腔阴茎神经元提供了一个独特的机会来研究 脊髓损伤后内脏神经分布的可塑性变化 受伤。我们将调查是否有补偿性变化 在神经损伤后的阴茎神经支配中。一种假设是 在骨盆神经中断后， 建立脊髓末梢、辅助阴茎损伤模型 腹下神经中的血管扩张通路将代偿 主要血管扩张剂途径的丧失。因此，我们的 药理学研究将有助于理解 可能的神经传递物质与阴茎平滑相互作用 肌肉。勃起组织血管扩张双通路的研究 可能有助于澄清和估计对生殖能力的影响 可能是骶骨脊髓受伤。

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.