Figure 7.

NET-1 and TH coexpression is observed in the LSC and MPG neurons, but not in DRG neurons. Optical (A–H; I–L; M, Q) and confocal (N, O, R, S) immunofluorescence photomicrographs of sections of L1 (A–D) or L6 (EH) DRGs, the LSC (I–L) or the MPG (M–T) after incubation with TH (B, F, J, N, R) and NET-1 antisera (A, E, I, M, Q). Retrogradely labeled colorectal (A–D; I–P) or urinary bladder (E–H; Q–T) neurons containing FB (A, E, I, M, Q) are shown in red. (D, H, L, P, T) show merged micrographs. (A–H) Neither TH-only (white arrowheads in B, F) nor FB+TH+ (double arrowheads in A–D, E–H) colorectal or urinary bladder NPs in L1 and L6 DRGs coexpressed with NET-1, the latter only present in fiber profiles (black arrows in C, G). Occasional TH-/NET-1-IR fiber profiles were found (black arrowhead in A–D; magnified view in insets B through D). Additional FB+ colorectal (arrows in A) or urinary bladder (arrows in E) NPs lacking TH are also present. (I–L) Virtually all FB+TH+ colorectal (double arrows in I–L), and the vast majority of TH-only LSC NPs (black double arrowheads in I33 L) coexpressed with NET-1. Note, however, a rare FB+TH+ colorectal LSC NP lacking NET-1-LI (white double arrowhead in I–L). Additional TH-only LSC NPs lacking NET-1-LI were also detected (arrowhead in J), as well as a few NPs lacking both markers (asterisks in J–L). A FB+TH+ colorectal neuron lacking both TH and NET-1 is also shown (arrow in I). (M–T) In the MPG, virtually all TH-IR NPs show NET-LI, including colorectal (double arrows in M–P), urinary bladder (double arrows in Q–T) and TH-only NPs (black double arrowheads in M–T). Occasional NET-1-only colorectal NPs could be found (black arrowhead in M–P). Also, several FB+ urinary bladder NPs lacking both TH and NET-1 were often detected (arrows in Q). Scale Bar: 100 µm (H=A–G); 50 µm (L=I–K; P=M–O; T=Q–S); 25 µm (inset in B–D).