Premium
Regional distribution of opioidergic nerves in human and canine prostates
Author(s) -
Aumüller Gerhard,
Jungblut Thomas,
Malek Bashar,
Konrad Sabine,
Weihe Eberhard
Publication year - 1989
Publication title -
the prostate
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.295
H-Index - 123
eISSN - 1097-0045
pISSN - 0270-4137
DOI - 10.1002/pros.2990140308
Subject(s) - dynorphin , stromal cell , enkephalin , endocrinology , opioidergic , opioid peptide , prostate , medicine , paracrine signalling , proenkephalin , endogenous opioid , opioid , biology , chemistry , receptor , (+) naloxone , cancer
The regional distribution of opioidergic nerves in the juvenile and adult human prostate and in the adult canine prostate has been studied immunohistochemically using well‐characterized polyclonal antisera against multiple opioid peptides. Nerves displaying immuno‐reactivity (ir) for the proenkephalin (PRO‐ENK) derivatives met‐enkephalin (ME), leuenkephalin (LE), octapeptide, and heptapeptide (ordered in decreasing frequency) were present in the dorsolateral stroma of human prostate. In canine prostate, the situation was similar, but the number of opioid‐ir nerve fibers was lower than in human prostate. In both species, staining for the prodynorphin (PRO‐DYN) derivatives dynorphin A and α‐neoendorphin or staining for the pro‐opiomelanocortin (POMC)‐derived β‐endorphin was not visualized. In addition to their presence in nerve fibers, PRO‐ENK‐ir opioids (octapeptide) occurred in intrinsic ganglionic cells situated in the capsule. Octapeptide but not LE‐ir fibers supplied stromal blood vessels. The periurethral region and tissue adjacent to the ejaculatory ducts appeared to be devoid of opioid‐ir innervation. We conclude that endogenous opioids apparently exclusively derived from PRO‐ENK may fulfill important comessenger functions in the fine regulation of prostatic stromal tonus and of local vascular perfusion.