Vasoactive Intestinal Polypeptide (VIP) in the Human Female Reproductive Tract: Distribution and Motor Effects

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Abstract
The distribution and concentration of vasoactive intestinal polypeptide (VIP) in the human female genital tract were studied by means of immunohistochemistry and immunochemistry. Further, the effect of VIP (10-10-10-7M) on the mechanical activity of uterine smooth muscle was investigated. Generally, VIP immunoreactive nerve fibers were distributed among smooth muscle cells and around vessels. They were most abundant in the isthmic part of the Fallopian tube, the outer and inner ostium of the cervix, and in the vagina. The tissue concentration of VIP measured by immunochemistry was in good agreement with the immunohistochemical findings. VIP inhibited the spontaneous smooth muscle activity in strips from the Fallopian tube and the cervical region, but had no effect on strips from the uterine corpus. The data support the view that VIP may play a physiological role in the local control of smooth muscle motility in the human female reproductive tract.

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