Discrete regions in the laterodorsal tegmental area of the rat regulating the urinary bladder and external urethral sphincter.
In urethane anesthetized rats, the laterodorsal tegmental area was stimulated systematically with a carbon fiber electrode to clarify regions regulating the urinary bladder and/or the external urethral sphincter. Contraction of the former was monitored by bladder pressure and that of the latter by electromyogram. Stimulation of a small area around the ventrolateral edge of the central gray in a plane at the junction of the mesencephalon and pons, where cholinergic neurons in the laterodorsal tegmental nucleus formed the largest mass, induced contraction only of the bladder. Arranged in tandem rostrocaudally with this bladder site, a very small area whose stimulation induced contraction only of the sphincter was found also at the ventrolateral edge of the central gray in a plane slightly caudal to the above. Slightly lateral and caudal to this sphincter site, there were sites the stimulation of which induced contraction of both the bladder and sphincter. It was thus shown physiologically that there were discrete sites in the laterodorsal tegmental area regulating the bladder and sphincter independently.
Yamao
Y
Y
Department of Physiology, Fukushima Medical University School of Medicine, 1 Hikari-ga-oka, 960-1295, Fukushima, Japan.
Koyama
Y
Y
Akihiro
K
K
Yukihiko
K
K
Tsuneharu
M
M
D000818:Animals; D002799:Cholinergic Fibers / Q000502:physiology / Q000648:ultrastructure; D004525:Efferent Pathways / Q000166:cytology / Q000502:physiology*; D004558:Electric Stimulation; D004576:Electromyography; D020546:Fourth Ventricle / Q000166:cytology / Q000502:physiology; D008125:Locus Coeruleus / Q000166:cytology / Q000502:physiology; D009119:Muscle Contraction / Q000502:physiology; D018482:Muscle, Skeletal / Q000294:innervation* / Q000502:physiology; D009474:Neurons / Q000166:cytology / Q000502:physiology*; D010487:Periaqueductal Gray / Q000166:cytology / Q000502:physiology*; D011149:Pons / Q000166:cytology / Q000502:physiology*; D051381:Rats; D017207:Rats, Sprague-Dawley; D011930:Reaction Time / Q000502:physiology; D014160:Transducers, Pressure; D001743:Urinary Bladder / Q000294:innervation* / Q000502:physiology; D014554:Urination / Q000502:physiology*