Innervation des Cervidenhodens

In this investigation, the innervation in the testis of 14 specimens of fallow deer of different age was studied. To obtain a picture of the general innervation pattern the immunoreaction to the panneural marker PGP-9.5 was the first choice. Bundles of the superior and inferior spermatic nerves reach the testis via three access routes (funicular, mesorchial and caudal). The nerves in the cervine testis are generally associated with the testicular arteries. From the veins to the testis, only those in the pampiniformis plexus display an intrinsic innervation. In the testicular parenchyma, the nerve fibers are also associated to arterial blood vessels. There is no evidence of an innervation of Leydig cells in this species. The vascular fibres represent postganglionic sympathetic axons displaying a strong dopamine-beta-hydroxylase (DBH) activity, mostly co-expressed with neuropeptide Y (NPY). There are only a few cholinergic nerves in the cervine testis. Myelinated fibres occurr in the spermatic cord and the tunica albuginea as shown by Myelin-Basic-Protein (MBP)-immunreaction and are regarded as afferent. The viscerosensory quality in the testicular intrinsic innervation is mediated by Calcitonin Gene-Related Protein (CGRP)-positive nerves that run independently from vessels and end in the connective tissue of spermatic cord and tunica albuginea. The cervine testis contains a little amount of Vasoactive Intestinal Polypeptide (VIP)-positiv axons which reach the caudal pole of testis as parts of the inferior spermatic nerve and via lig. testis proprium. The nerve density in the interior of the testicular lobules shows no regional differences, but age- and season-related changes that correlate well with the developmental and functional state of the seminiferous tubules. Small testes with solid and narrow tubules, as seen in the prepuberal phase and during seasonal reproductive quiescence, are better innervated than large testes with expanded and spermatogenetically active seminiferous tubules.

Level thesis:degree_level

thesis.doctoral

Grantor dc:publisher

Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität

Year

2004

Author dc:creator

• Schenk, Eveline Susanne

Repository record source_url

https://edoc.ub.uni-muenchen.de/2051/

OAI identifier oai:identifier

oai:edoc.ub.uni-muenchen.de:2051