title: Smooth muscle electromyography from rat urethra.
abstract: Electrical signals recorded from the penis have been suggested as reflecting electromyographic activity in the underlying smooth muscles. In order to verify this assertion, we manipulated the signal recorded from rat urethra surface. Stimulation of the pelvic nerve brought about a reduction of activity (965 +/- 826 to 166 +/- 143 microV, root mean square of the power at range 0.005-1 Hz, P = 0.008), with a significant frequency-response relationship (P = 0.0002). This effect was not altered by temporary closure of the aorta (P = 0.89), thus ruling out hemodynamic artifact as a possible cause of signal change during stimulation. Our findings support the assertion that the signal indeed reflects activity in smooth muscle.
authors.affiliation: Clinical Neurophysiology, Technion Medical School and Rambam Medical Center, Haifa, Israel.
authors.forename: D
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Yarnitsky
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Dashkovsky
authors.forename: Z
authors.initials: Z
authors.lastname: Rogovsky
authors.forename: Y
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Vardi
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001011:Aorta / Q000502:physiology; D003250:Constriction; D004558:Electric Stimulation; D004576:Electromyography; D008297:Male; D009130:Muscle, Smooth / Q000503:physiopathology*; D009424:Nervous System Physiological Phenomena; D010388:Pelvis / Q000294:innervation; D010410:Penile Erection / Q000502:physiology; D010413:Penis / Q000502:physiology; D011312:Pressure; D051381:Rats; D017207:Rats, Sprague-Dawley; D014521:Urethra / Q000502:physiology*