The bladder is innervated by axons of sympathetic and parasympathetic efferent nerves, and by spinal afferent neurons. The objective was to characterise anatomically and immunohistochemically the terminal endings of sensory and autonomic motor nerve endings in wholemount preparations of the mouse bladder. We used both anterograde labelling of pelvic and hypogastric nerves ex vivo and anterograde labelling from lumbosacral dorsal root ganglia (DRG) in vivo in male and female mice. These were combined with immunohistochemistry for major markers of sensory, sympathetic and parasympathetic nerves. Selective labelling of spinal afferent endings following dextran biotin-labelling from DRGs in vivo showed no co-localisation of VAChT or TH in sensory terminals in the detrusor and suburothelial plexus. Biotinamide was applied ex vivo to nerve trunks arising in the pelvic ganglion and running towards the bladder. Among the filled axons, 38% of detrusor fibres and 47% of suburothelial axons were immunoreactive for calcitonin-gene related peptide (CGRP). Vesicular acetylcholine transporter (VAChT) immunoreactivity was present in 26% of both detrusor and suburothelial axons. For tyrosine hydroxylase (TH), the proportions were 15% and 17%, respectively. Three major morphological types of CGRP-immunoreactive nerve endings were distinguished in the bladder wall: simple, branching and complex. VAChT-immunoreactive parasympathetic axons had simple and branching endings; TH immunoreactive axons all had simple morphologies. Our findings revealed that different subtypes of sensory and autonomic nerve endings can be reliably identified by combining anterograde labelling ex vivo with specific immunohistochemical markers, although morphologically some of these types of endings were indistinguishable.

中文翻译：

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小鼠膀胱中顺行标记的脊髓感觉和自主神经末梢的形态学和神经化学特征

膀胱受交感神经和副交感神经传出神经的轴突以及脊髓传入神经元的支配。目的是在解剖学和免疫组织化学上表征小鼠膀胱整体制剂中感觉和自主运动神经末梢的末端。我们在雄性和雌性小鼠中使用了体外骨盆和腹下神经的顺行标记和体内腰骶背根神经节 (DRG) 的顺行标记。这些与免疫组织化学相结合，检测感觉神经、交感神经和副交感神经的主要标志物。在体内DRGs的葡聚糖生物素标记后脊髓传入末梢的选择性标记显示在逼尿肌和尿路上皮下神经丛的感觉末梢中没有VAChT或TH的共定位。生物素酰胺被体外应用于骨盆神经节中出现并朝向膀胱的神经干。在填充的轴突中，38% 的逼尿肌纤维和 47% 的尿路上皮下轴突对降钙素基因相关肽 (CGRP) 具有免疫反应性。囊泡乙酰胆碱转运蛋白 (VAChT) 免疫反应性存在于逼尿肌和尿路上皮下轴突的 26%中。对于酪氨酸羟化酶 (TH)，比例分别为 15% 和 17%。在膀胱壁中区分出三种主要的 CGRP 免疫反应性神经末梢形态类型：简单、分支和复杂。VAChT 免疫反应性副交感神经轴突具有简单的分支末端；TH 免疫反应性轴突都具有简单的形态。