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Effect of castration on pelvic neurons in the male pig

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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.

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Acknowledgments

Project financially co-supported by Minister of Science and Higher Education in the range of the program entitled "Regional Initiative of Excellence" for the years 2019–2022, Project No. 010/RID/2018/19, amount of funding 12.000.000 PLN.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Animal Anatomy, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, University of Warmia and Mazury in Olsztyn, Oczapowskiego 13, 10-719, Olsztyn, Poland

    Jerzy Kaleczyc, Natalia Kasica-Jarosz, Zenon Pidsudko, Agnieszka Dudek, Magdalena Klimczuk & Waldemar Sienkiewicz

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  1. Jerzy Kaleczyc
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  2. Natalia Kasica-Jarosz
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  3. Zenon Pidsudko
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  4. Agnieszka Dudek
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  5. Magdalena Klimczuk
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  6. Waldemar Sienkiewicz
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Correspondence to Jerzy Kaleczyc.

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Kaleczyc, J., Kasica-Jarosz, N., Pidsudko, Z. et al. Effect of castration on pelvic neurons in the male pig. Histochem Cell Biol 153, 135–151 (2020). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00418-019-01837-w

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