Effect of castration on pelvic neurons in the male pig.
AI Summary
Key Findings
Abstract
The present study investigated the influence of castration performed at neonatal age on neuronal elements in the anterior pelvic ganglion of the male pig with immunohistochemistry and quantitative real-time PCR (qPCR). The ganglia were examined 3 and 6 months after surgery. In 3-month-old castrated pigs (3MCP) 74% of adrenergic and 31% of cholinergic neurons stained for caspase-3 (CASP-3), and much greater numbers of perikarya than in the control animals expressed CGRP, galanin (GAL) and VIP (peptides known to have neuroprotective properties). In 6-months-old castrated pigs (6MCP), an excessive loss (90%) of neurons and intraganglionic nerve fibres was found. The survived adrenergic and cholinergic neurons also expressed CASP-3, CGRP, GAL or VIP. The qPCR results corresponded with immunofluorescence findings. In 3MCP, genes for CASP-3 and CGRP were up-regulated, while the expression of those for DβH, VAChT, GAL, VIP and SP displayed statistically insignificant variations. In 6MCP, distinctly up-regulated were genes for CGRP, GAL, VIP, SP, DβH and VAChT, while the expression of casp3 gene was down-regulated. The study revealed for the first time the excessive loss of pelvic neurons following castration, and a realistic assumption is proposed, that the neurons died due to apoptosis triggered by androgen deprivation.
Affiliation
Department of Animal Anatomy, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, University of Warmia and Mazury in Olsztyn, Oczapowskiego 13, 10-719, Olsztyn, Poland. [email protected].
External References
- PubMed ID:
- 31894388
Comments
Sign in or create a free account to join the conversation.
Sign in to commentBe the first to comment.