Crowe R, Burnstock G, Dickinson IK, Pryor JP. The human penis: an unusual penetration of NPY-immunoreactive nerves within the medial muscle coat of the deep dorsal vein.
J Urol 1991;
145:1292-6. [PMID:
2033719 DOI:
10.1016/s0022-5347(17)38617-2]
[Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/29/2022]
Abstract
The deep dorsal penile vein was obtained from seven patients undergoing surgery for erectile dysfunction. The veins were studied histologically and immunohistochemically for serotonin, dopamine beta-hydroxylase, vasoactive intestinal polypeptide, neuropeptide Y, substance P, calcitonin gene-related peptide, somatostatin, and [Leu]- and [Met]enkephalin. Histologically, the deep dorsal vein was found to be a large muscular vein with a thin endothelial lining. The tunica media was composed of an inner longitudinally and an outer circularly arranged smooth muscle layer. Numerous vasa vasorum (up to 30 in a single transverse section) were found in the tunica adventitia. The greatest density of nerves supplying the deep dorsal vein and vasa vasorum were neuropeptide Y-immunoreactive nerves followed (in a decreasing order) by vasoactive intestinal polypeptide- and dopamine beta-hydroxylase-immunoreactive nerves. Substance P-, calcitonin gene-related peptide- and somatostatin-immunoreactive nerves, but not serotonin-, [Leu]- and [Met]enkephalin-immunoreactive nerves, were occasionally found around the deep dorsal vein. All these nerve fibers were confined to the adventitial-medial border except neuropeptide Y-immunoreactive nerves which in addition penetrated the tunica media to the subendothelial layer of the deep dorsal vein. In contrast, neuropeptide Y-immunoreactive nerves supplying the vasa vasorum were always confined to the adventitial-medial border. The possible function of the medial innervation of the deep dorsal vein by neuropeptide Y-immunoreactive nerves is discussed.
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