Sensory innervation of the external and internal genitalia of the female rat.
Using a whole-nerve recording method, the genitalia of the female rat were found to receive afferent innervation as follows. Pelvic nerve: vagina, cervix, and perineal skin; hypogastric nerve: cervix and proximal three fifths of the uterus; pudendal nerve: skin of perineum, inner thigh, and clitoral sheath. It is probable that the pudendal and pelvic nerves are activated during copulation, and that all 3 nerves are activated during parturition.
D000200:Action Potentials; D000818:Animals; D005260:Female; D005836:Genitalia, Female / Q000294:innervation*; D009475:Neurons, Afferent / Q000502:physiology*; D010525:Peripheral Nerves / Q000502:physiology*; D010812:Physical Stimulation; D051381:Rats; D014599:Uterus / Q000294:innervation