Anatomical evidence for glutamatergic transmission in primary sensory neurons and onto postganglionic neurons controlling penile erection in rats:: an ultrastructural study with neuronal tracing and immunocytochemistry

In male rats, the dorsal penile nerve (DPN) conveys sensory information from the genitals to the lumbosacral spinal segments of the spinal cord. DPN is the afferent limb of a reflex loop that supports reflexive erections, and that includes a network of spinal interneurons and autonomic and somatic motoneurons to the penis and perineal striated muscles. Autonomic efferent pathways to the penis relay in the major pelvic ganglion (MPG). Glutamate (Glu) is a likely candidate as a neurotransmitter of reflexive erections. Both AMPA and NMDA glutamatergic receptor subunits are present in the lumbosacral spinal cord, and AMPA and NMDA receptor antagonists block reflexive erections. In the present study, we used tract-tracing experiments combined with immunohistochemical and immunocytochemical techniques to ascertain the presence of Glu at two different levels of the network controlling reflexive erections. DPN afferents were localized in the dorsal horn of the lumbosacral cord and displayed the characteristics of either C-fibers or A delta fibers. DPN terminals (some of them glutamatergic) were mainly distributed in the medial edge of the dorsal horn in the L6 spinal segment. GluR1 subunits were present in some DPN afferents, suggesting that they could be autoreceptors. DPN fibers were also present in the MPG, as were Glu terminals and GluR4 subunits. The results reveal the presence of Glu in DPN fibers and terminals and suggest that both the spinal cord and the MPG use glutamatergic transmission to control reflexive erections.