Functional segregation within the pelvic nerve of male rats: a meso- and microscopic analysis

Abstract

The pelvic splanchnic nerves are essential for pelvic organ function and have been proposed as targets for neuromodulation. We have focused on the rodent homologue of these nerves, the pelvic nerves. Our goal was to define within the pelvic nerve the projections of organ-specific sensory axons labelled by microinjection of neural tracer (cholera toxin, subunit B) into the bladder, urethra or rectum. We also examined the location of peptidergic sensory axons within the pelvic nerves to determine whether they aggregated separately from sacral preganglionic and paravertebral sympathetic postganglionic axons travelling in the same nerve. To address these aims, microscopy was performed on the maj..