Vol 63, No 2 (2004)
Original article
Published online: 2004-03-12
Immunohistochemical studies on brain nitric oxide synthase (bNOS) in the male genital accessory glands of the rat during postnatal development
Folia Morphol 2004;63(2):189-194.
Abstract
The aim of the study was to investigate the presence, localisation and function
of brain nitric oxide synthase (bNOS) in the male genital accessory glands of rats
in the course of their postnatal development. Localisation of the bNOS was
immunocytochemically investigated in the epididymis, seminal vesicle and ventral
prostate of male Wistar strain rats at 1, 5, 10, 20, 28, 35, 45 and 59 days of
age. The method employed involved mouse monoclonal antibodies against rat
bNOS in combination with tyramide signal amplification (CSA). The intensity of
the reaction in the organs studied was determined using computer software to
demonstrate the optical density of the reaction product obtained. In the epididymis
a weak reaction was observed in the connective tissue/muscular sublayer
on the 28th and 45th days of life. In the seminal vesicle and ventral prostate
a positive reaction appeared in the epinuclear portions of glandular epithelial
cells on the 20th day of life, reaching a maximum intensity on the 28th day and
thus before the rats reached maturity. The results obtained allow the conclusion
to be drawn that nitric oxide resulting from bNOS-activity participates in the
processes of differentiation and of function in the epididymis, seminal vesicle
and ventral prostate.
Keywords: accessory glandepididymisseminal vesicleprostatenitric oxide synthaseNOSpostnatal development