Demonstration of intrinsic innervation of the guinea pig upper urinary tract using whole-mount preparation.

AIMS: The morphology and functional importance of the autonomic nervous system in the upper urinary tract is still not completely understood. Previous histological studies investigating the innervation of the urinary tract have mainly used conventional sections in which the three-dimensional structure of the intramural innervation is difficult to achieve. In contrast, the whole-mount preparation technique is a suitable method for visualizing the distribution of the mesh-like neuronal networks within the urinary tract. METHODS: The distribution and regional variation of neurofilament (NF), tyrosine hydroxylase (TH), choline acetyltransferase (ChAT), and substance P-immunoreactive (SP-IR) neurons, as well as acetylcholinesterase (AChE) and nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide phosphate-diaphorase (NADPH-d)-positive neurons were investigated using whole-mount preparations of the guinea pig upper urinary tract. RESULTS: Two distinct nervous plexuses were detected within the muscle layers containing NF, TH, ChAT, and SP-IR nerves. AChE-positive nerves were seen in all layers. Only moderate NADPH-d-positive innervation was found. Renal pelvis, upper and lower part of the ureter showed an overall increased innervation compared to the middle portion of the ureter. Ganglia were found at the pelviureteric border displaying NF and TH immunoreactivity. CONCLUSION: The whole-mount preparation technique provides an elegant method for assessing the three-dimensional architecture of ureteral innervation. The guinea pig upper urinary tract is richly supplied with adrenergic, cholinergic, nitrergic, and sensory nerves which suggest that the autonomous nervous system plays an important role in controlling ureteral motility and blood flow.

Supraspinal N-methyl-D-aspartate receptor inhibition influences the micturition reflex and function of the upper urinary tract of anesthetized and conscious rats.

AIMS: To examine the effects of N-methyl-D-aspartate (NMDA) receptor antagonists on the frequency/volume (F/V) characteristics of micturition of conscious and anesthetized rats in relation to the mechanisms of renal urine output and pyelo-ureteral transport function of the upper urinary tract. METHODS: Micturition F/V characteristics of 24 conscious female Sprague-Dawley rats, each weighting 160-180 g, were evaluated in a metabolic chamber. Control values of (F/V) were first obtained after administration of a 5-mL loading dose of saline solution and compared with intraperitoneal (i.p.) injection of 0.3-6.0 mg/kg of LY274614 (LY) and 0.3-40 mg/kg of dextromethorphan (DEX). Upper urinary tract studies were performed on two groups of urethane anesthetized rats (1.2 g/kg, s.c.). A group of 17 rats was used for intravenous (i.v.) injection of 1-30 mg/kg of LY and 1-10 mg/kg of DEX. In a second group of 12 rats, 0.2 mg/kg of LY and DEX were administered intracerebroventricularly (i.c.v.), by placing a catheter into the third ventricle. In anesthetized rats, continuous cystometrograms (CMG) were done while perfusing the renal pelvis with indigo carmine, and measuring pelvic and arterial pressure and as well as visualizing the transport of urine within the upper urinary tract by using videomicroscopic imaging. RESULTS: In conscious rats, the i.p. injection of LY and DEX produced a significant and dose-dependent increase in functional bladder capacity and a considerable increase in diuresis. In anesthetized rats, i.v. and i.c.v. administration of LY and DEX affected the micturition reflex, reflected as a significant increase in bladder capacity and preleakage pressure. Videomicroscopic imaging shows dilation of the ureter and a dilution of the dyed urine after the i.v. and i.c.v. injection of LY and DEX. The frequency of ureteral peristalsis and renal pelvic contractions were significantly decreased after i.v. and i.c.v. injection of LY as well as DEX. CONCLUSIONS: The present study shows that the NMDA receptor antagonists LY and DEX given systemically (i.v. and i.p.) or intracerebroventricularly influence the micturition reflex and modulate pyelo-ureteral motility as well as the rate of urine production. From the present study, it is suggested that NMDA receptors are directly involved in regulating pyelo-ureteral peristalsis as well as in the coordination of urine transport between upper and lower urinary tract.