Marfurt C F, Echtenkamp S F
Department of Anatomy, Northwest Center for Medical Education, Indiana University School of Medicine, Gary 46408.
J Comp Neurol. 1991 Sep 15;311(3):389-404. doi: 10.1002/cne.903110309.
The sensory innervation of the rat kidney and ureter was investigated in wholemount preparations and sectioned materials by labeling the afferent nerve fibers with wheat germ agglutinin-horseradish peroxidase (WGA-HRP) transported anterogradely from dorsal root ganglia. Labeled fibers were seen in large numbers in the ureter and in the lining of the renal pelvis, where they were located in the adventitia, smooth muscle, subepithelial connective tissue, and epithelium. Most of the fibers in the ureter and ureteropelvic junctional zone traveled parallel to the long axis of the organ. In contrast, fibers in the widest part of the funnel-shape renal pelvis were oriented predominantly in a circumferential fashion. Many of the pelvic afferents were extremely fine and appeared to terminate as free nerve endings. Modest networks of labeled axons were also observed around branches of the renal artery; the greatest innervation was supplied to the distal portions of the interlobar arteries and to the arcuate arteries. Only single axons were observed around the interlobular arteries, and very few fibers were seen around afferent arterioles or near glomeruli. In contrast to the arteries, branches of the renal vein were relatively sparsely innervated. Occasional labeled fibers entered the renal cortex and formed intimate associations with renal tubules; however, the vast majority of renal tubular elements were not contacted by labeled sensory fibers. Labeled fibers were never observed in the renal medulla or in the papilla. The present study represents the first time that the sensory innervation of the kidney and ureter has been investigated by using a highly specific anterograde nerve tracing technique. The pattern of innervation demonstrated here reveals an anatomical configuration of ureteral and renal pelvic sensory nerves consistent with a role in detection of ureteral and pelvic pressure and chemical changes and a renal vascular sensory innervation that may monitor changes in renal arterial and venous pressure and chemical content. Still other renal afferent nerve endings may signal renal pain.
通过用从背根神经节顺行运输的麦胚凝集素 - 辣根过氧化物酶（WGA - HRP）标记传入神经纤维，在整装标本和切片材料中研究了大鼠肾脏和输尿管的感觉神经支配。在输尿管和肾盂内衬中可见大量标记纤维，它们位于外膜、平滑肌、上皮下结缔组织和上皮中。输尿管和输尿管肾盂连接区的大多数纤维与器官的长轴平行走行。相比之下，漏斗状肾盂最宽部分的纤维主要呈圆周方向排列。许多肾盂传入纤维极其纤细，似乎以游离神经末梢的形式终止。在肾动脉分支周围也观察到适度的标记轴突网络；最大的神经支配供应给叶间动脉的远端部分和弓形动脉。在小叶间动脉周围仅观察到单根轴突，在入球小动脉周围或肾小球附近见到的纤维极少。与动脉相比，肾静脉分支的神经支配相对稀疏。偶尔有标记纤维进入肾皮质并与肾小管形成紧密联系；然而，绝大多数肾小管成分未被标记的感觉纤维接触。在肾髓质或乳头中从未观察到标记纤维。本研究首次使用高度特异性的顺行神经追踪技术研究了肾脏和输尿管的感觉神经支配。这里展示的神经支配模式揭示了输尿管和肾盂感觉神经的解剖结构，这与检测输尿管和肾盂压力及化学变化的作用一致，以及一种可能监测肾动脉和静脉压力及化学成分变化的肾血管感觉神经支配。还有其他肾传入神经末梢可能传递肾痛信号。
