SOME NERVE-ENDINGS IN THE RAT PELVIC PARACERVICAL AUTONOMIC GANGLIA AND VARICOSITIES IN THE UTERUS CONTAIN CALCITONIN GENE-RELATED PEPTIDE AND ORIGINATE FROM DORSAL-ROOT GANGLIA

The pelvic paracervical autonomic ganglia of female rats was studied for a subpopulation of nerve endings that could be derived from sensory nerve fibers. Immunohistochemical staining using an antiserum against the synaptic-terminal protein synapsin I was used to identify terminal boutons, while an antiserum against the neuropeptide calcitonin gene-related peptide was used to reveal a subpopulation of sensory nerve fibers. The uterine cervix was also examined for the existence of calcitonin gene-related peptide and synapsin I immunoreactivity in nerve fiber varicosities. In addition, the location of nerve endings in the paracervical ganglion was compared to that in the superior cervical ganglion. Synapsin I immunoreactivity was present in the paracervical ganglion in abundant boutons around neuron somata and in the cervix in varicose nerve fibers of the myometrium, vasculature and epithelium. Double labeling immunocytochemistry revealed calitonin gene-related peptide-like immunoreactivity in subpopulations of synapsin I-immunoreactive endings in ganglia and nerve varicosities in the cervix. Injection of a retrograde axonal tracer, fluorogold, into the paracervical ganglion produced labeled neurons in dorsal root ganglia and spinal cord; however, flurogold-labeled neurons containing calcitonin gene-related peptide immunoreactivity were visualized only in dorsal root ganglia. Injections of fluorogold into the uterine cervix produced labeled neurons in the paracervical ganglion and dorsal root ganglia; however, only those in dorsal root ganglia contained immunoreactivity for calcitonin gene-related peptide. These results suggest that immunoreactivity for calcitonin gene-related peptide is present in a subpopulation of nerve endings in the paracervical ganglion and not merely in fibers of passage. The nerve endings in the ganglion and varicosities in the uterine cervix originate from sensory neurons in dorsal root ganglia. The arrangement of endings in the ganglia could play a role in sensory/autonomic interactions for modulation of visceral activity.