Martin-Alguacil Nieves, Pfaff Donald W, Shelley Deborah N, Schober Justine M
Department of Neurobiology and Behaviour, The Rockefeller University, New York, NY, USA.
BJU Int. 2008 Jun;101(11):1407-13. doi: 10.1111/j.1464-410X.2008.07625.x.
To further define neural pathways and mechanisms responsible for the arousing properties of the epithelium of the clitoris as well as related neural pathways associated with sexual arousal in a murine model.
Adult female C57B1/6 mice were used for gross dissection, facilitated by resin injection of the vascular system, and silver staining, and immunostaining for S-100 and neuronal nitric oxide synthase (nNOS). We also comprehensively reviewed relevant published clinical and histological material from both human and non-human vertebrate studies.
The distal innervation consists of three nerve bundles: one related to the perineal region, one through the corpus cavernosum, and the third between the dorsal part of the clitoris and the urethra. Communicating nerve fibres were identified between the perineal, the corpus cavernous nerve (CN) and the dorsal nerve of the clitoris. Immunostaining for nNOS showed that the CN sends nNOS-positive fibres to join the dorsal nerve of the clitoris. In the same distal area of the clitoris, the connecting branches between the perineal nerve and the dorsal nerve of the clitoris are also nNOS positive.
A rich network of nerve bundles and terminal branches were identified and associated with nNOS immunostaining in the cavernosal tissue of the body of clitoris. NO control of vasodilatation and neuronal signalling between the CN and the dorsal nerve of the clitoris could contribute to the engorgement and subsidence of clitoral tissue. This supports the initiation of sexual arousal by tactile stimuli. The distribution pattern of the general and peptidergic innervation in the murine clitoris is similar to that of the penis.
在小鼠模型中进一步明确负责阴蒂上皮激发特性的神经通路和机制，以及与性唤起相关的神经通路。
成年雌性C57B1/6小鼠用于大体解剖，通过血管系统树脂注射、银染色以及S-100和神经元型一氧化氮合酶（nNOS）免疫染色辅助进行。我们还全面回顾了来自人类和非人类脊椎动物研究的相关已发表临床和组织学资料。
远端神经支配由三个神经束组成：一个与会阴区域相关，一个通过海绵体，第三个位于阴蒂背侧与尿道之间。在会阴神经、海绵体神经（CN）和阴蒂背神经之间发现了连通神经纤维。nNOS免疫染色显示，CN发出nNOS阳性纤维加入阴蒂背神经。在阴蒂的同一远端区域，会阴神经与阴蒂背神经之间的连接分支也是nNOS阳性。
在阴蒂体的海绵体组织中发现了丰富的神经束和终末分支网络，并与nNOS免疫染色相关。NO对血管舒张的控制以及CN与阴蒂背神经之间的神经元信号传导可能有助于阴蒂组织的充血和消退。这支持了触觉刺激引发性唤起的观点。小鼠阴蒂中一般神经支配和肽能神经支配的分布模式与阴茎相似。
