Acetylcholinesterase containing nerve fibers in guinea pig ovary.

The distribution of acetylcholine esterase (AChE) in the ovary of normal as well as of sympathectomized guinea pigs was studied. In normal animals AChE-positive nerve fibres were found organized in a perivascular plexus. Some nerve fibres reach the corpus luteum and the follicular wall. Chemical sympathectomy performed with he neurotoxin 6-hydroxydopamine caused an almost complete disappearance of AChE positive nerve fibres suggesting that most of the AChE activity of ovarian nerves is localized in adrenergic nerve fibres. Enzyme activity was also present in smooth muscle cells of the vascular tree.