Functional organization of vasodilator neurons in pelvic ganglia of female guinea pigs: comparison with uterine motor neurons.

Neurons producing vasodilation during reproductive activity constitute a large population of neurons in pelvic autonomic ganglia. We used intracellular recording, dye-filling and multiple-labeling immunohistochemistry to determine the morphology and electrophysiological properties of, and number of synaptic inputs to, vasodilator pelvic neurons in female guinea pigs. Vasodilator neurons, identified by their immunoreactivity for vasoactive intestinal peptide (VIP) and their location in paracervical ganglia, had simple dendritic arbors (1 primary dendrite) compared with nonvasodilator neurons (3 dendrites). Vasodilator neurons had more depolarized resting membrane potentials (−47 mV) than other paracervical neurons (−55 mV) and had smaller apparent cell capacitances (65 pF vs. 110 pF). Vasodilator and nonvasodilator neurons could not be distinguished on the basis of their action potential discharge characteristics or current voltage relationships. Most pelvic neurons (∼70%) had tonic (slowly adapting) discharges. Fifty-five percent of vasodilator and 60% of nonvasodilator neurons showed inward rectification when hyperpolarized below −90 mV. Around 65% of neurons showed evidence of M-current. Both vasodilator and nonvasodilator neurons (∼80%) expressed an A-like current. Vasodilator neurons and nonvasodilator neurons received 1–2 fast synaptic inputs following stimulation of pelvic or hypogastric nerve trunks. Most neurons received a least one strong synaptic input. These results indicate that vasodilator neurons and neighboring neurons projecting to other pelvic targets, primarily in the myometrium, express a similar range of ionic conductances and integrate few synaptic inputs. The similarities between these two populations of neurons may be related to their coactivation as part of spinal somato-pelvic reflexes. Vasodilation and uterine contraction during reproductive behavior in female guinea pigs are likely to involve input from preganglionic neurons at both lumbar and sacral spinal levels. J. Comp. Neurol. 459:223–241, 2003. © 2003 Wiley-Liss, Inc.