Gender, bladder distension and hypogastric nerve activity in the cat

• Published in: Journal of the autonomic nervous system Vol. 47; no. 1; pp. 59 - 67
• Main Authors: Vaughan, Christopher W., Satchell, Paul M.
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Amsterdam Elsevier B.V 01.04.1994; Elsevier Science
• Subjects: Animals; Biological and medical sciences; Blood Pressure - physiology; Carbon Dioxide - blood; Cat; Cats; Electrocardiography; Female; Fundamental and applied biological sciences. Psychology; Gender; Hypogastric nerve; Hypogastric Plexus - physiology; Male; Nerve Fibers - physiology; Neurons, Efferent - physiology; Orchiectomy; Peripheral nervous system. Autonomic nervous system. Neuromuscular transmission. Ganglionic transmission. Electric organ; Pressure; Sex Characteristics; Urinary bladder; Urinary Bladder - innervation; Urinary Bladder - physiology; Uterus; Uterus - physiology; Vertebrates: nervous system and sense organs; Hypogastric nerve; Gender; Urinary bladder; Uterus; Cat; Fissipedia; Carnivora; Sex; Electrophysiology; Vertebrata; Mammalia; Urinary system; Autonomic nervous system; Sexual dimorphism
• ISSN: 0165-1838; 1872-7476
• DOI: 10.1016/0165-1838(94)90066-3

In the pentobarbitone anaesthetised cat, postganglionic activity was recorded from the whole hypogastric nerve and from hypogastric filaments destined for the bladder wall during bladder distension. A gender difference was observed in whole hypogastric nerve recordings, cardiac-related activity obscuring other components in females with intact internal reproductive organs. In contrast, nerve activity in the vesical hypogastric filaments was dominated by bladder distension-related activity in both sexes. These observations suggest that bladder distension-related activity, which has a continence promoting action on the bladder detrusor muscle, is destined for the bladder wall, while the cardiac-related activity is largely destined for the uterine and vaginal vasculature.