Immunohistochemical studies on brain nitric oxide synthase (bNOS) in the male genital accessory glands of the rat during postnatal development.

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.