Increases in clitoral and vaginal blood flow following clitoral and pelvic plexus nerve stimulations in the female rat.
The objective of this present study is to establish a model in the rat for the study of female clitoral and vaginal vascular changes during sexual excitation. A laser Doppler was used to measure blood flow changes following clitoral and pelvic plexus nerve stimulations. Results show an increase in clitoral blood flow following clitoral nerve (df1 = 12, df2 = 108, F = 21.4, P < 0.001) and pelvic plexus nerve stimulations (n = 3). A vaginal blood flow increase is also observed following pelvic plexus nerve stimulations (df1 = 12, df2 = 108, F = 4.75, P < 0.001). The female rat can therefore be used as a model for the study of the physiology, pharmacology and sexual dysfunction relating to blood flow in clitoral and vaginal tissue.
Vachon
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P
Lady Davis Institute of the Jewish General Hospital, Department of Medicine, McGill University, Montreal, Quebec, Canada.
Simmerman
N
N
Zahran
A R
AR
Carrier
S
S
D000818:Animals; D002987:Clitoris / Q000098:blood supply* / Q000294:innervation*; D004558:Electric Stimulation; D005260:Female; D007001:Hypogastric Plexus / Q000502:physiology*; D009424:Nervous System Physiological Phenomena; D051381:Rats; D017207:Rats, Sprague-Dawley; D012039:Regional Blood Flow; D014621:Vagina / Q000098:blood supply* / Q000294:innervation*