The major ganglion in the pelvic plexus of the male rat

Abstract

To further evaluate the role of autonomic ganglia in the regulation of pelvic visceral activity, the neural elements in the major pelvic ganglion of the male rat have been studied with histochemixal and electron microscopic techniques. The principal findings are that the ganglion is composed of cholinergic and adrenergic ganglion cells as well as small intensely fluorescent (SIF) cells. Polarity in the ganglion is indicated by clustering of small ganglion cells which stain intensely for acetylcholinesterase (AChE) along the pelvic nerve while larger cells, with weak to moderate AChE activity, collect near small branches of the hypogatrric nerve. Some cholinergic ganglion cells are enclosed by a plexus of adrenergic terminals. SIF cells appear to be in contact with both cholinergic and adrenergic cells, although many of the fluorescent beads around adrenergic neurons may be short dendrites of ganglion cells, rather than processes of SIF cells. Two types of SIF cells may be distingiosjed on the basis of size and morphology of their granulated vesicles. Afferent synapses of the cholinergic type were common on SIF cells of the large granule and small granule type. Portions of SIF cells with large granules occur within the capsule of ganglion cells. Contacts seen here were interpreted as efferent synapses from SIF cells to the dendrites of ganglion cells.

Ultrastructural study on the granule-containing cells in the rat autonomic ganglia.

“…The ratio of numbers of the two types of cells was different from cluster to cluster. This may be one of the reasons why the present findings were different from those of Dail et al (1975). Kitao et al (1981) reported that the ratio changed with growth.…”

“…Bock (1982) assumed that the LG type cells (type II of Lu et al 1976) in the autonomic ganglion are endocrine in function, although the possibility could not be ruled out that the LG and the SG type cells act as interneurons, because they form many afferent and efferent synapses. On the contrary, Dail et al (1975) and Abe et al (1983) pointed out that the GC cells do not show any close relationship with blood capillaries here. Therefore, it is unlikely that the GC cells act as either endocrine or chemoreceptive cells.…”

“…Dail et al (1975) described more LG type cells than SG type cells in the major pelvic ganglion of the rat. The ratio of numbers of the two types of cells was different from cluster to cluster.…”

Culture of major pelvic ganglion neurons from adult rat

“…In most species, these numerous small ganglia locate close to the pelvic organs. As to the rat, functionally identical groups of neurons are clustered in two large major pelvic ganglia and a small adjacent clump of accessory ganglia (Dail et al 1975).…”

An anatomical and electrophysiological study of the genitofemoral nerve and some of its targets in the male rat

“…This is illustrated by continuing efforts -largely in the male rat -to describe the composition, distribution and function of the peripheral pelvic nerves. While consensus exists on major nerves such as the pelvic (Langworthy, 1965;Dail et al 1975;Hulsebosch & Cogeshall, 1982;Lucio et al 1994;Hubscher & Johnson, 2000), the pudendal (Larsson & Södersten, 1973;Hulsebosch & Cogeshall, 1982;McKenna & Nadelhaft, 1986Pacheco et al 1997), and the hypogastric (Langworthy, 1965;Hulsebosch & Cogeshall, 1982;Dail et al 1985Dail et al , 1989Claire & Bradley, 1998;Hubscher & Johnson, 1999, 2000, reports on the genitofemoral nerve (GFn) remain contradictory.…”